How to Slow Glucose Absorption

In the past, people believed that simple carbohydrates were broken down and absorbed as glucose faster than complex carbohydrates, which were broken down and absorbed slower. Dr. David Jenkins was one of the first scientists to discover that this wasn't necessarily true. He discovered that some complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, are broken down rather quickly by the body. Nutritional experts have discovered other factors slow the rate of glucose absorption such as fiber, fat and protein content, as well as the way a food is prepared.

Things You'll Need

• High fiber food
• Unsaturated fat sources
• Protein sources

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Instructions

• 1

  Eat food that contains fiber and protein. An apple for example has a slower rate of glucose absorption than a 6 oz. serving of apple juice. The fiber acts as a means of weakening the carbohydrate spike in the blood, thus slowing it down. The apple juice has its fiber content removed completely so its is absorbed quickly by the blood. The same is true for protein. A piece of whole wheat bread may have a less profound spike than a piece of white bread but both of them will have a much slower absorption of glucose if you add a piece of meat to the bread. Other good protein sources include: fish, cottage cheese, tofu, eggs, turkey and chicken.

• 2

  Add fat to your diet. Chocolate and ice cream both contain a great deal of sugar, which ordinarily you would think would lead to a dramatically fast rate of glucose absorption. However, they both contain fat which remarkably slows down the rate of which your body draws in glucose. That of course does not mean you should load up on chocolate and ice cream, as they are both prime examples of empty calories: foods that are high in calories and fat and low in nutritional value. You should be adding sources of unsaturated fat to your diet, from for example: almonds, macadamia nuts or walnuts, olive oil, flax seed oil or avocados.

• 3

  Don't over-cook your food. Overcooking speeds up the ability of the body to take in glucose because some of the links among glucose molecules are already broken down, making absorption easier as less digestion is necessary. Mashed potatoes for example, have a much faster rate of glucose absorption than whole potatoes.