15 Home Remedies for Lowering Blood Sugar

Though most often associated with diabetes and a part of its treatment regimen, maintaining a health blood sugar balance actually has plenty of positive health benefits for those who do not require treatment for diabetes. Maintaining a balanced level of blood sugar helps to prevent food cravings that the production of insulin, both of which tend to lead to obesity and/or increased inflammation. These home remedies for lowering blood sugar are very helpful since they are accessible to us.

Through our 15 home remedies for lowering blood sugar, you can help to reduce or prevent your risks of the numerous diseases associated with increased blood sugar levels, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

1. Mango Leaves

Though they might not be easy to get your hands on in some areas, mango leaves are among the best home remedies for lowering blood sugar. Anthocyanidins, which are tannins found in mango leaves, can help to keep your blood sugar levels low and regulate insulin production in a proper balance.

What to Do

• Allow a dozen mango leaves to soak overnight in a glass of water.
• The following morning, strain the water from the mango leaves and drink it on an empty stomach.
• You can also grind mango leaves into a powder or purchase them in powder form in a natural foods store.
• Mix ½ tsp of this powder into a tsp of honey and swallow this paste twice daily.

2. Blueberries

There are few natural home remedies for lowering blood sugar which are as tasty as blueberries. Also loaded with anthocyanins, a study at Louisiana State University showed that the consumption of blueberries in the form of smoothies produced a 22.2% improvement in insulin sensitivity and lowered blood sugar levels significantly.

What to Do

• You can use the same blueberry smoothie recipe in the study above.
• Invent your own blueberry smoothie recipe, or add them to cereal or fruit salad.
• Or simply pop a handful of blueberries in your mouth a couple of times a day as a healthy and delicious snack.

3. Indian Gooseberry

Sometimes called Amla, Indian Gooseberry is another of the effective home remedies for lowering blood sugar. The high concentration of vitamin C in Indian gooseberries helps to promote better pancreas function to control blood sugar levels.

What to Do

• Remove the seeds from 3 Indian gooseberries and grind the fruit into a fine paste on a small sheet of cheesecloth.
• Twist and squeeze the cheesecloth to extract the juice into a glass.
• Add water to the extracted juice and drink this on an empty stomach every morning.

4. Fenugreek

A potent herb that is gaining a lot of attention in nutritional circles is fenugreek. Fenugreek produces incredible hypoglycemic activity which improves glucose tolerance and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and sugars preventing food cravings. Because of its great potential in helping control diabetes, fenugreek is among our home remedies for lowering blood sugar.

What to Do

• Allow 2 Tbsp of fenugreek seeds to soak in a glass of water or milk overnight.
• Drink the contents of the glass on an empty stomach first thing the next morning.

5. Cinnamon

One of the most well published home remedies for lowering blood sugar is cinnamon. By stimulating an often inhibited enzyme, cinnamon helps improve your cells’ ability to use glucose, cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels and prevents the associated effects of hyperglycemic responses.

What to Do

• Opt for Ceylon cinnamon over Cassia cinnamon, which is much more common, of course.
• Mix ½ to 1 tsp of cinnamon in 1 cup of warm water, tea, coffee or juice and consume it daily.
• You can also boil two cinnamon sticks in 1 ½ cups of water for about 5 minutes, cover it and allow it to steep for 20 more minutes in order to make cinnamon tea.
• Consume either of these recipes daily and/or make use of cinnamon to flavor your cooking.

6. Bitter Gourd

Included among the effective home remedies for lowering blood sugar is bitter gourd. Bitter gourd contributes to better glucose metabolism on a cellular level rather than focusing on a specific organ or tissue type, lowering your blood sugar levels across the board.

What to Do

• Remove the seeds from a bitter gourd and then add the gourd itself to a juice extractor or blender along with some water to obtain its juice.
• Drink this juice on an empty stomach each morning.
• You can also include bitter gourd in your cooking to reap its health benefits.

7. Aloe Vera

While most people tend to focus on aloe vera’s uses for topical applications, they often forget that its consumption is also among the best home remedies for lowering blood sugar. The phytosterols in aloe vera have hypoglycemic effects which help to lower blood glucose levels. Aloe Vera has really many amazing benefits.

What to Do

• Slice open a fresh aloe vera shoot and scrape out the gel inside.
• Add 1 tsp of this gel to your tea, some warm water or juice each morning before breakfast and before dinner in the evening.

8. Curry Leaves

Also among the best home remedies for lowering blood sugar are curry leaves. Curry leaves contain active compounds which help to reduce the rate of starch metabolism, preventing spikes in glucose levels and maintaining a lower and more balanced blood sugar level.

What to Do

• Thoroughly chew and swallow 10 fresh curry leaves each morning.
• You can also make and drink curry leaf tea on a daily basis.

9. Guava

A fruit common to South and Central America as well as Mexico, guava or guayaba is one of the potent home remedies for lowering blood sugar. Its high fiber and vitamin C content and other nutrients are well known for reducing blood sugar levels.

What to Do

• Peel and eat a guava fruit twice a day.
• You can also extract the juice of a guava fruit, but make certain that you remove the peel first as its peel has a hyperglycemic effect.
• Do not consume more than two or three guava in a day.

10. Okra

When it comes to home remedies for lowering blood sugar, few are as effective as okra. Sometimes referred to as ladies’ finger, the polyphenolic compounds found in okra are known to reduce blood glucose levels and help control diabetes. It also helps to control blood lipid levels for added health benefits.

What to Do

• With okra that has already gotten firm, you can cut off both ends and prick them with a fork on all sides along their full length before placing them in a glass of water overnight.
• Discard the okra the following morning and drink the infused water on an empty stomach.
• Fresh, tender okra can be consumed fried in non-transfat oil or used to make gumbo.
• Pickled okra is another delicious way to obtain the benefits okra has to offer.

11. Ginseng

An herb among the effective home remedies for lowering blood sugar is ginseng. Ginseng helps to lower insulin resistance as well as HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin) levels to help maintain control over blood sugar levels. There are plenty of other cognitive and nutritional health benefits associated with ginseng as well. Many also testify to its effects and bebefits.

What to Do

• Ginseng root can be found in powder, oil or whole root form in many natural food stores and can be used in tea or added to food.
• Some people choose to take a ginseng supplement at a dosage of approximately 100 – 200 mg of capsules within 2 hours of eating a meal. Consult a health care professional before using this or any other supplement and follow his or her directions.

12. Marjoram

Marjoram is a mostly unused herb included in spice rack collections, but it is among the best home remedies for lowering blood sugar. The abundance of polyphenols, which aid in stabilizing blood glucose levels, found in marjoram are the subject of several recent studies focused on advanced glycation end (AGE). AGE is associated with many of the complications faced by diabetics, including artery damage and deterioration of vision.

What to Do

• Marjoram can be used as a replacement for oregano in many Mediterranean or Italian dishes.
• Making and regularly consuming marjoram tea is another way to include it into your healthy diet.

13. Cayenne

The entire pepper family, but especially the cayenne variety, is also among the best home remedies for lowering blood sugar. The capsaicin found in cayenne peppers stimulates glucose absorption in the small intestine, which helps to stabilize overall blood sugar levels and prevents spiking and plummeting. Cayenne pepper is also among the best anti-inflammatory foods available.

What to Do

• Use cayenne pepper in your cooking on a regular basis to add spice as well as health to your cooking.
• Add ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper to 1 tsp of honey, mix it thoroughly and consume this mixture a couple of times a day.

14. Turmeric

Another powerful anti-inflammatory herb, which is also one of the potent home remedies for lowering blood sugar is turmeric. The presence of curcumin in turmeric is the active ingredient which helps to improve HbA1C levels as well as improving your blood lipid profile. Curcumin is such a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that consuming turmeric is as effective as taking more harmful NSAIDs and SAIDs, but without the side effects. Turmeric has really good effects.

What to Do

• Use whole turmeric root to make tea and consume it a couple of times daily.
• You can also make up a batch of turmeric’s golden paste to use in several different ways.
• Or, simply add it to your cooking on a regular basis.

15. Ginger

Similar to its cousin, ginger is another of the effective home remedies for lowering blood sugar. The compound gingerol also has a significant hypoglycemic function to lower blood glucose levels as well as improve lipid profiles. An added benefit of ginger is that it aids in digestion and relieves a ton of stomach ailments. Ginger can be found easily at home but it has many health benefits.

What to Do

• Slice 2” of whole ginger root and add it to 3 to 4 cups of boiling water.
• Reduce the boil to a simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the ginger from the stove, cover it and allow it to soak overnight.
• Strain out the ginger root and reserve the tea.
• You can drink a cup several times a day cold or warmed up along with lemon and honey to taste.

Wrapping Up

Taking care of our bodies must be our utmost priority. We must become health conscious not just when we get old but starting from the beginning. As young as possible, we must be concerned about our health. Learn to live a life of peace both in mind and body. Because as the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” Remember to make sure that what we do and how we live our life now will also benefit us in the future, especially our bodies. It is the greatest investment that we could ever have. Although this doesn’t mean that complications will only come when you are older. It is also possible to have these when we are young. For that reason, always live a life that will not destroy you physically. If that can’t be helped alone, then seek medical attention for you to know how to deal with them.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle should include maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Regardless of whether you are diabetic, borderline diabetic or just experience a lot of inflammation and are overweight our home remedies for lowering blood sugar will be of great benefit to you. Implement one or several of these remedies into your regular dietary regimen, and don’t forget to comment, add remedies or ask questions in the section provided below.