Choosing complex carbohydrates instead of simple carbs can drastically help control and improve blood sugar levels. Simple carbs include food items like white bread, pastries, and sugary drinks. When eaten, these break down quickly into glucose, thus causing rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. However, when we have complex carbs– like whole grains, legumes, and vegetables– they are digested slowly due to their high fiber content. And so, they slowly release glucose, thus providing steady energy, preventing sudden sugar spikes, and improving insulin sensitivity over time. A 2018 study links dietary carbohydrates to type 2 diabetes risk, and highlights that complex carbohydrates, especially those high in fiber, reduce diabetes risk and improve glycemic control.
