Chromium
- Broccoli — 1 cup cooked: 22 micrograms (88 percent DV)
- Grapes – 1 cup juice: 8 mcg (32 percent DV)
- Potatoes — 1 cup: 3 micrograms (12 percent DV)
- Garlic — 1 teaspoon: 3 micrograms (12 percent DV)
- Basil — 1 tablespoon: 2 micrograms (8 percent DV)
- Grass-Fed Beef — 3 oz: 2 micrograms (8 percent DV)
- Oranges — 1 cup: 2 micrograms (8 percent DV)
- Turkey — 3 oz: 2 micrograms (8 percent DV)
- Green Beans — 1 cup cooked: 2 micrograms (8 percent DV)
- Red Wine — 5 ounces: (varies widely) 1–13 micrograms (4–52 percent DV)
- Apples — 1 medium: 1 micrograms (4 percent DV)
- Bananas — 1 medium: 1 micrograms (4 percent DV)
Oats are wonderful for those with diabetes because they help keep you full longer, are higher in fiber than most starchy grains, and provide a natural source of protein plus nutrients like magnesium, chromium, potassium, and iron. Oats contain 15 percent of your daily chromium needs in just 1/2 cup. Try our oatmeal recipes to add to your morning routine!
Better Blood Sugar Control and A Lowered Risk of Diabetes
The nutrients in buckwheat may contribute to blood sugar control. In a test that compared the effect on blood sugar of whole buckwheat groats to bread made from refined wheat flour, buckwheat groats significantly lowered blood glucose and insulin responses. Whole buckwheats also scored highest on their ability to satisfy hunger.
When researchers followed almost 36,000 women in Iowa during a six-year long study of the effects of whole grains and the incidence of diabetes, they found that women who consumed an average of 3 servings of whole grains daily had a 21 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to those who ate one serving per week. Because buckwheat is a good source of magnesium, it is also important to note that women who ate the most foods high in magnesium had a 24 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to women who ate the least.
Canadian researchers, publishing their findings in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistryhave found new evidence that buckwheat may be helpful in the management of diabetes. In a placebo-controlled study, a single dose of buckwheat seed extract lowered blood glucose levels by 12-19% at 90 and 120 minutes after administration when fed to laboratory animals with chemically-induced diabetes. No glucose reduction was seen in animals given placebo. The component in buckwheat responsible for its blood glucose-lowering effects appears to be chiro-inositol, a compound that has been shown in other animal and human studies to play a significant role in glucose metabolism and cell signaling. While researchers do not yet know precisely how it works, preliminary evidence suggests chiro-inositol makes cells more sensitive to insulin and may even act as an insulin mimic. Results of the Canadian study were so promising that one of the lead investigators, Roman Przbylski, is currently collaborating with Canadian-based Kade Research to develop new buckwheat varieties with much higher amounts of chiro-inositol. Although the animals used in this study had the equivalent of Type 1 diabetes in humans, the researchers are confident that buckwheat will exert similar glucose-lowering effects when given to animals with Type 2 diabetes, which is the next study on their agenda. Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes, which is by far the most common form in humans (90% of diabetes in humans is Type 2), is characterized by an inability of cells to respond properly to insulin.
Buckwheat and other whole grains are also rich sources of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.
Blood sugar balance
Diets low in biotin impair the production of insulin, a key hormone in the balancing of blood sugar, deficiency of biotin also affects the way insulin acts on cells, giving a second reason that low biotin intake potentially creates problems.
Happily, many of the biotin-rich foods we list are also strong sources of fiber, which make them great staples for people with blood sugar problems. An ounce of mixed nuts for 12 weeks led to significant improvement in blood sugar.
biotin
FoodCalsDRI/DV
Blood Sugar Control
Manganese is needed to help multiple enzymes in a process called gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is the scientific term for conversion of substances like amino acids or organic acids into sugar. Our cells routinely engage in this process, and some of the enzymes involved require manganese to function properly.
Scientists aren't sure about the relationship between diseases involving poor blood sugar control and dietary intake of manganese. In animal studies, manganese-depleted diets can lead to high blood sugars similar to those seen in diabetics. Whether this is true in humans has not been determined.
Either way, we suspect that manganese deficiency is probably not a common contributor to human diabetes. People with diabetes do not consistently have lower manganese intake than people without diabetes. Also, supplementation with large doses of manganese—doses at the top end of what would be seen with plant-based diets—do not appear to improve blood sugar control in diabetes. However, even though manganese deficiency may not directly increase risk of diseases related to blood sugar control (like diabetes), it is still likely to play a very helpful role in everyday blood sugar control.
Protection Against Free Radical Damage
Manganese is a co-factor for an enzyme called manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), which is a potent antioxidant associated with protection against free radical damage. Diets low in manganese have been linked to conditions marked by increased free radical damage to cells and tissue,including skin problems and asthma.
Oats, unprocessed, dry
0.25 cup
(39.00 grams)
Calories: 152
GI: low
Nutrient
manganese96%
molybdenum64%
phosphorus29%
copper27%
biotin26%
vitamin B125%
magnesium17%
fiber17%
chromium15%