Is Stevia Sweetener Good For You? | Mastering Diabetes | Dr. David L. Katz [3751c8]
Post Time: 2025-08-15
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial for overall health, and it all starts within our body. The intricate dance of hormones, cells, and organs works together to regulate blood sugar levels. In this article, we'll delve into the fascinating process of how the body controls blood sugar levels.
The Insulin-Sensitization Process: Unlocking Normal Blood Sugar Ranges
Blood sugar regulation begins in the pancreas, where insulin is produced and secreted into the bloodstream. When you eat a meal containing carbohydrates, your pancreas releases insulin to facilitate glucose uptake by cells. In healthy individuals, this process works smoothly, maintaining normal blood sugar ranges. However, factors like diet, exercise, stress levels, and sleep quality can influence insulin sensitivity.
The ideal body weight is crucial in regulating blood sugar as excessive weight puts pressure on the pancreas and impairs its ability to produce enough insulin (Point 7). Moreover, being physically active improves glucose uptake by muscles and increases insulin sensitivity. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 30% when combined with a healthy diet.
A stable blood sugar range is essential for maintaining energy levels and preventing chronic diseases like heart disease and kidney damage (Point 15). Factors that can negatively impact glucose metabolism include stress, sleep deprivation, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and being physically inactive. By managing these factors effectively through lifestyle modifications such as a balanced diet, regular exercise routine, sufficient restful sleep each night.
Stabilizing Blood Sugar Levels Through Dietary Management
Diet plays an integral role in regulating blood sugar levels (Point 10). Consuming fiber-rich foods helps slow down glucose absorption into the bloodstream. Foods with high glycemic indexes cause significant spikes in blood sugar levels whereas those low on GI have a lower effect, thereby stabilizing it.
Healthy eating habits involve regular consumption of protein and fats to maintain energy balance and reduce reliance on carbs for immediate energy release (Point 10). Drinking enough water also maintains digestive health as well. Consuming at set times is vital; skipping meals can result in larger spikes due reduced insulin sensitivity levels during fasting periods between each meal.
The Link Between Blood Sugar Regulation and Mental Health
Imbalanced blood sugar affects mood, cognitive function, memory recall ability since brain utilizes the glucose directly from bloodstream constantly supply needed (Point 19). Research suggests even slight dips lower mental processing speed by approximately 20%. Elevated insulin sensitivity due regular exercise significantly improves overall well-being. Moreover stress causes an increase in cortisol leading to fluctuations thereby putting individuals at higher risk for depression symptoms such as mood swings, low energy etc.
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial not only for physical health but also emotional and mental clarity (Point 6). Therefore by incorporating strategies discussed here can make significant difference.
Do artificial sweeteners like Stevia raise blood sugar or insulin levels? A lot of people with diabetes are using Stevia because it comes from plants and has zero calories. But according to Dr. David Katz, the best natural sugar for diabetics is still real food. Here's why he's generally opposed to artificial sweeteners and what he thinks of Stevia. Notes from Dr. David Katz: Are artificial sweeteners better? I really don’t know, because nobody knows for sure. The literature on this topic is mixed with some studies showing benefit from cutting out sugar and calories through the medium of no-calorie, “artificial” sweeteners. Other studies, however, suggest that the currently prevailing sugar substitutes may do significant damage of their own. Whether or how this pertains to the newer entries such as stevia, or monk fruit extract, is still a work in progress. What I can say is that I avoid artificial sweeteners personally for three reasons. First, the precautionary principle, which argues that it’s safer to assume harms until they are disproven than it is to assume harmlessness until it is confirmed. Second, when sugar is “put in its place” and one’s diet is made up overwhelmingly of unprocessed foods, there is neither need, nor place, for artificial sweeteners. And third, I think there is a better way to reduce sugar intake, which I call “taste bud rehab.” By trading up choices and eliminating stealth sugar first, and more overt sugar after, you can cut your intake of sugar and calories; avoid any actual or potential harms of chemical additives; and rehabilitate/sensitize your palate into the bargain, so you actually come to prefer more wholesome, less copiously sweetened food. (Full article at: David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM is a specialist in Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, with particular expertise in nutrition. He earned his BA at Dartmouth College (1984); his MD at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1988); and his MPH from the Yale University School of Public Health (1993). He completed sequential residency training and what helps lower blood sugar board certification in Internal Medicine (1991) and Preventive Medicine/Public Health (1993). Katz is the founder and former director of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (1998-2019); Past President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; President and Founder of the non-profit True Health Initiative; and Founder and CEO of Diet ID, Inc. He is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine; the American College of Physicians; the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; and Morse College, Yale University. (Full bio at: 👉SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL 👉GUARANTEED DIABETES COACHING If how much pomegranate juice to lower blood sugar you’re living with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes and are tired of high blood sugar, a high A1c, being overweight, or feeling low energy, apply for Personalized Coaching today. Or if you’re living with type 1 or type 1.5 diabetes and want to control your blood sugar with precision, lower your A1c, increase your time in range (TIR), and lower your insulin use, our Personalized Coaching program can help. All of our programs are 100% guaranteed to lower your A1c and help you achieve your body weight. If we don’t deliver results, we’ll either coach you for free until you do, or we’ll give you your money back. Guaranteed. Click here to apply: 📺WHAT TO WATCH NEXT Insulin Resistance Diet — What To Eat & Why 8 Tips does fruit affect blood sugar levels on How to Lower Your Blood Sugar | Mastering Diabetes EP 128 Insulin Resistance and Low Carbohydrate Diet by Dr Neal Barnard | Mastering Diabetes Low Fat vs Low Carb Diet for Weight Loss and Diabetes | Mastering Diabetes | Robby Barbaro What is Insulin Resistance | Simple Explanation | What Cause Insulin Resistance | Mastering Diabetes 😎 FOLLOW US Podcast: Instagram: Facebook: Mastering Diabetes Cyrus Khambatta, PhD Robby Barbaro, MPH Diabetes Nutrition and Fitness Coaches