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Does anyone know if blueberries really do improve insulin resistance. As many of you may know I’m having struggles with reducing insulin resistance which is resulting in me literally reducing my bolus timings by 2 minutes most days at the moment and continuing. I’m now bolusing after I’ve eaten including my breakfast now which always used to need the longer pre bolus and is porridge. I’m on humalog. It dawned on me this morning that I had read somewhere that blueberries can improve insulin resistance. I have 40g of blueberries in my porridge and about 40g with my homemade greek yogurt in the evening. Could the blueberries be what’s causing this?
I have not seen anything showing any solid link between blueberries and improvement in insulin resistance, so I just did a search covering the past 2 years (I prefer recent documents). I found this
Low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress are key mechanisms involved in obesity and related disorders. Polyphenols from blueberry (BB) and bilberries (BiB) might protect against oxidative damage and inflammation. To summarize the effects of BiB or ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The key part of the conclusion for me was:
"The main mechanism behind the benefic effects of BB and BiB on obesity- and T2DM-related outcomes is the attenuation of oxidative stress, which consequently dampens Nf-kB pro-inflammatory actions and improves the composition of the gut microbiota. Based on these results, BB and BiB may be considered as natural adjuvant supplements to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress and improve glucose metabolism in patients with obesity, MetS, and/or T2DM.
However, considering that the studies included in this systematic review differ in many methodological aspects, which is a limitation of the available literature, it is essential to perform more well-designed clinical trials to better understand if the anti-inflammatory effects observed in rodents are confirmed in humans and to elucidate how the connection between anthocyanins and pro-inflammatory NF-κB, fatty acid oxidation, as well as IR pathways, occurs."
MetS Metabolic syndrome
T2DM Type 2 diabetes mellitus
BB Blueberry
BIB Bilberry
Note the bit about methodological aspects
I have been eating blueberries with my breakfast too as they are lower in sugar and lots of sites go on about their health benefits. It just seemed like a good idea 🙂
I have been eating blueberries with my breakfast too as they are lower in sugar and lots of sites go on about their health benefits. It just seemed like a good idea 🙂
Blueberries are highly nutritious and among the world's most powerful sources of antioxidants. Here are 10 evidence-based health benefits of blueberries.
www.healthline.com
According to Healthline "several studies demonstrate that blueberries have anti-diabetes effects, improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood sugar levels"
@gillrogers I am confused by your comment.
If you are having to reduce your insulin timings you DO NOT have insulin resistance.
In a previous thread, you mentioned that you are sensitive to insulin which is the opposite to resistant.
This is my feeling too. I think your use of the term "insulin resistance" is confusing. You have never been insulin resistant. You take such small doses of insulin, which indicates that you are very insulin sensitive, but your absorption time may vary
Personally I think there is an element of you grasping at straws in this. The effect of blueberries, if any, will be very, very minimal even if you were insulin resistant, which you are not..... just like something you mentioned a while ago about atmospheric pressure having an impact on your levels. These things are more on a par with wearing the wrong colour socks, as having any real value to you as a very insulin sensitive Type 1.
Well thats because i was told I had insulin resistance and sensitivity at the same time. I remeber someone here saying i had both sides of the same coin which can happen. Hence needing the lyumjev for nearly 2 years.
Im a very little person hence being on small doses and LADA . So respectfully to the bigger person i dont have the body size for bigger doses.
I don’t think it would be the blueberries @gillrogers I go through phases of eating lots of them, then switch to other fruit for a while and I don’t see any change in my insulin sensitivity (I’m very sensitive too).
I think you are confusing insulin resistance with how fast or slow the insulin works which is different and may be an absorption issue. The Lyumjev like Fiasp has been treated with something to make it act faster, not more powerful. That is different to the cells resisting insulin and needing bigger doses to overcome that resistance.
Blueberries are about the highest carb of the fruits called somethingberry, but in a mix with other berries they seem to be a good choice, particularly if diet alone is enough to give control.
I am my own experiment when it comes to diabetes control, and the only important factor is 'is it working' and so far it is working well with blueberries on the menu.
It does seem like you’re looking to blame anything other than diabetes just being expected to be volatile, and your anxiety causing most of your problems, in all this.
Blueberries won’t be causing you any major impact. It’s not even like you’re having a large portion, 40g at a time is only half of one portion.
I don’t think it would be the blueberries @gillrogers I go through phases of eating lots of them, then switch to other fruit for a while and I don’t see any change in my insulin sensitivity (I’m very sensitive too).
May be vitamin C in fruit improves absorption of proteines, which improves insulin sensitivity. Or may be it's the polyphenols or who knows, I am testing these giant Spanish strawberries now and I want to believe.
But Gill is slim not obese and Type 1 and insulin sensitive....
....and the atmospheric pressure she has mentioned in a previous post is weather related not altitude, so it will have very minimal impact on her levels by comparison to climbing mountains!
As @rebrascora says, Gill doesn’t have insulin resistance and I don’t think she’s obese either. The study also says that the blueberry powder they used is equivalent to 2 cups of fresh blueberries which must be several hundred grams, much more than the 40g discussed here. The glucose of the subjects in the study was the same afterwards compared to before too.
May be vitamin C in fruit improves absorption of proteines, which improves insulin sensitivity. Or may be it's the polyphenols or who knows, I am testing these giant Spanish strawberries now and I want to believe.
My sincere apologies for posting that study, it was an impulse, because it was one of the studies cited in the first study and I figured, hey blueberries, that is on topic. Stupid of me.
I am also slim, type 1 and "insulin sensitive" so of course berries could never ever have any positive effect for me, the thought only. I removed both studies for you.
I just happen to really like blueberries, particularly in my morning porridge. I try not to think too much about what I eat, although at the moment I am struggling to maintain my weight.
No need to apologise @Bubbleblower It might have been of interest to a Type 2 browsing here. Perhaps you could put it in its own thread if you feel it would be interesting to people with insulin resistance?
Just like to say as a newb this thread has really confused me. Especially as I’ve taken some frozen blueberries out of the freezer and was going to have them later with a decent yoghurt. While I’m here is this a decent yoghurt ?
Just like to say as a newb this thread has really confused me. Especially as I’ve taken some frozen blueberries out of the freezer and was going to have them later with a decent yoghurt. While I’m here is this a decent yoghurt ?
It looks like it has added sugar in the ingredients list so not a fantastic choice, but the carbs are still quite low at 12.3g so as long as you watch portion size it shouldn’t be too bad.
