Fight diabetes with DASH diet and probiotics
By the time New Year's comes around, "Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh" may be the elevator music that makes you take the stairs. But it turns out a bit of DASH-ing combined with a dose of probiotics may deliver the holiday present you truly are hoping for: better health!
At the American Heart Association's annual meeting, researchers presented preliminary findings that showed combining the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet with
probiotics-packed foods can reduce fasting blood sugar and A1C levels (an average of your blood glucose levels over two to three months). Around 40 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes have high blood pressure (it's 79 percent among folks with diabetic kidney complications); adopting a nutrition plan that benefits both conditions is a one-two punch.
Some study participants with high blood pressure followed the DASH diet with added probiotics: A 2,000-calories-a-day DASH plan includes three kinds of whole grains daily in 7-8 servings (some with probiotic granola); 4-5 servings each of fruits and veggies; 2-3 servings of low-fat or nonfat probiotic-rich yogurt and drinks; 2 or fewer servings of meat and poultry; 4-5 of nuts, seeds and legumes weekly; and limited fats.
So if you're battling high blood pressure and have prediabetes or diabetes, dash to the store for probiotic-rich foods to add to your DASH diet. For oral probiotics, opt for those that make it through to your guts, such as hard-shelled Digestive Advantage and Culturelle, which is activated by stomach acid.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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