Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : August 22, 2018 12:08 PM IST
If you have a habit of sipping water with foods, especially sugary treats and also struggle to maintain a steady blood sugar, stop this habit of yours right away. Water along with your sugar treats is just going to spike your blood sugar level postprandial or after eating the snack (with water). While conducting a new study, researchers analysed blood sugar levels of people who ate jam doughnuts with or without water and noted their blood sugar levels. Scientists from Suriname in South America found those who washed their sweet treat down with water had higher levels of blood sugar post eating the sugary treat. An interesting find was that people who drank water while eating a doughnut had higher sugar levels than those who ate two doughnuts at the same time without water.
It is evident that one's blood sugar levels with a rising after eating any kind of snack or food whether high or low in sugar or fat. But too much of a spike can lead to obesity or even type 2 diabetes. If you drink water along with food there is a surge in the blood sugar levels. But experts say water helps the body to absorb glucose so suggest drinking before or after food instead to minimise the sugar's effects.
Although the Anton de Kom University study involved eating only doughnuts, it suggests the principle applies to other foods, too. So, take note Indians, eating Kaju katli, motichoor ladoo and ghee laden halwa and then washing it down with two glasses of water is going to do you greater damage.
The study was done in a group of 35 people who ate a jam doughnut and drank water before, during or after eating or didn't drink at all. It was then noted that people who drank water alongside the snack had the biggest spike in levels of glucose in the blood their levels rose nearly twice as fast as those in other groups. High blood sugar levels can be a cause for concern because the body can become desensitised to it and lose the ability to properly regulate levels in the blood, which leads to diabetes. While too much glucose can also lead to the body producing more insulin, which tells the body to store some sugar as fat too.
So, scientists suggest drinking before or after eating in order to reduce the impact of eating sugar. But here is the catch: Study showed that drinking water half an hour after eating the doughnut caused the smallest rise in sugar while drinking beforehand led to a slightly bigger rise than no water at all.
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