Regular exercise and managing carbohydrate intake through portion control can help lower blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing spikes. Eating plenty of fiber, staying hydrated, limiting stress, and monitoring blood sugar levels also supports management. Overall lifestyle habits like maintaining a moderate weight and getting quality sleep further optimize blood sugar control.

1. NUTRITION
15 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Sugar
Levels Naturally
Bonnin Studio/Stocksy United
High blood sugar occurs when your body doesn’t make enough or effectively use insulin, a
hormone that regulates blood glucose and helps it enter your cells for energy.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is associated with diabetes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 13% of U.S. adults live with
diabetes, and 34.5% have prediabetes (1 
).
This means close to 50% of all U.S. adults have diabetes or prediabetes.
Here are 15 easy ways to lower blood sugar levels naturally:
Regular exercise can help you get to and maintain a moderate weight and increase insulin
sensitivity.
Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells are better able to use the available sugar in your
bloodstream.
Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction.
If you have problems with blood sugar management, you should routinely check your levels.
This will help you learn how you respond to different activities and keep your blood sugar levels
from getting either too high or too low (2).
Useful forms of exercise include weightlifting, brisk walking, running, biking, dancing, hiking,
swimming, and more.
SUMMARY
Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps your muscles use glucose effectively.
This can lead to reduced blood sugar levels.
u
u Evidence Based
Evidence Based
1. Exercise regularly
Written by Arlene Semeco,
MS, RD — Medically
reviewed by Katherine
Marengo LDN, R.D. —
Updated on December 21,
2020
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2. Your body breaks carbs down into sugars (mostly glucose), and then insulin helps your body use
and store sugar for energy.
When you eat too many carbs or have insulin-function problems, this process fails, and blood
glucose levels can rise.
However, there are several things you can do about this.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends managing carb intake by counting
carbs and being aware of how many you need (3).
Some studies find that these methods can also help you plan your meals appropriately, further
improving blood sugar management (4 
, 5 
).
Many studies also show that a low carb diet helps reduce blood sugar levels and prevent blood
sugar spikes (6 
, 7, 8
, 9 
).
What’s more, a low carb diet can help manage blood sugar levels in the long run (10 
).
You can read more in this article on healthy low carb eating with diabetes.
SUMMARY
Carbs are broken down into glucose, which raises blood sugar levels. Reducing
carbohydrate intake can help with blood sugar control.
Fiber slows carb digestion and sugar absorption. For these reasons, it promotes a more gradual
rise in blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, the type of fiber you eat may play a role.
There are two kinds of fiber:
insoluble
soluble
While both are important, soluble fiber has explicitly been shown to improve blood sugar
management (11 
, 12 
, 13 
).
Additionally, a high fiber diet can help better manage type 1 diabetes by improving the body’s
ability to regulate blood sugar and reducing blood sugar lows (13, 14 
).
Foods that are high in fiber include:
vegetables
fruits
legumes
whole grains
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.
That’s about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories (15).
SUMMARY
2. Manage your carb intake
3. Increase your fiber intake
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3. Eating plenty of fiber can help with blood sugar management. Soluble dietary fiber is
the most effective.
Drinking enough water may help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy limits.
In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out the excess sugar through
urine.
One observational study showed that those who drank more water had a lower risk for
developing high blood sugar levels (16 
).
Drinking water regularly helps rehydrate the blood, lowers blood sugar levels, and could reduce
diabetes risk (16 
, 17 
, 18
, 19 
).
Keep in mind that water and other non-caloric beverages are best. Sugar-sweetened drinks
raise blood glucose, drive weight gain, and increase diabetes risk (20 
, 21 
).
SUMMARY
Staying hydrated can reduce blood sugar levels and diabetes risk. Water is the best
choice.
Portion control helps regulate calorie intake and can help maintain a moderate weight (22 
,
23 
, 24 
).
Consequently, weight management promotes healthy blood sugar levels and has been shown
to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (25 
, 26 
, 27 
, 28
, 29 
, 30 
).
Monitoring your serving sizes also helps reduce calorie intake and subsequent blood sugar
spikes (31 
).
Here are some helpful tips for managing portion sizes:
Measure and weigh portions.
Use smaller plates.
Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants.
Read food labels and check the serving sizes.
Keep a food journal.
Eat slowly.
SUMMARY
Focusing on your portion sizes can help you better manage your blood sugar levels.
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4. Drink water and stay hydrated
5. Implement portion control
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4. The glycemic index measures how we absorb or digest foods, which affects the rate at which
blood sugar levels rise (32 
).
Both the amount and type of carbs determine how a food affects blood sugar levels (33 
, 34 
).
Eating low-glycemic-index foods has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in those with
diabetes (35 
).
Although the glycemic index of foods is important, the amount of carbs consumed also matters
(33 
).
Foods with a low to moderate glycemic index include:
bulgur
barley
yogurt
oats
beans
lentils
legumes
wheat pasta
non-starchy vegetables
SUMMARY
It’s essential to choose foods with a low glycemic index and monitor your overall carb
intake.
Stress can affect your blood sugar levels (36).
Hormones such as glucagon and cortisol are secreted during stress. These hormones cause
blood sugar levels to go up (36, 37 
).
One study showed that exercise, relaxation, and meditation significantly reduced stress and
lowered blood sugar levels for students (38
).
Exercises and relaxation methods like yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction may also
help correct insulin secretion problems in chronic diabetes (38
, 39 
, 40 
, 41 
).
SUMMARY
Managing stress levels through exercise or relaxation methods, such as yoga, may help
you better regulate blood sugar levels.
6. Choose foods with a low glycemic index
7. Manage stress levels
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5. “What gets measured gets managed.”
Measuring and monitoring blood glucose levels can also help you better manage your levels.
For example, keeping track helps you determine whether you need to make adjustments in
meals or medications (31 
).
It will also help you find out how your body reacts to certain foods (42, 43 
).
Try measuring your levels every day and keeping track of the numbers in a log.
SUMMARY
Checking your blood glucose and maintaining a log every day will help you adjust foods
and medications when necessary to help decrease your blood sugar levels.
Getting enough sleep feels excellent and is necessary for good health (44 
).
Poor sleeping habits and a lack of rest can also affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.
They can increase appetite and promote weight gain (45 
, 46 
).
Sleep deprivation decreases the release of growth hormones and increases cortisol levels. Both
of these play an essential role in blood sugar management (44 
, 45 
, 46 
).
Furthermore, adequate sleep is about both quantity and quality. It’s best to get a sufficient
amount of high quality sleep every night (47 
).
SUMMARY
Good sleep helps maintain your blood sugar levels and promote a healthy weight. Poor
sleep can disrupt critical metabolic hormones.
High blood sugar levels and diabetes have also been linked to micronutrient deficiencies (48,
49, 56 
).
Examples include deficiencies in the minerals chromium and magnesium.
Chromium is involved in carb and fat metabolism. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels. A
lack of chromium may predispose you to carb intolerance (48, 49, 50 
).
However, the mechanisms behind this are not entirely known. Studies also report mixed
findings.
Some studies of people with diabetes showed that chromium had benefits for long-term blood
sugar management. However, the alternate has also been found (51 
, 52 
, 53 
, 54 
).
Chromium-rich foods include:
meats
whole grain products
fruit
vegetables
8. Monitor your blood sugar levels
9. Get enough quality sleep
10. Eat foods rich in chromium and
magnesium
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6. nuts
Magnesium has also been shown to benefit blood sugar levels, while magnesium deficiency has
been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes (48, 55 
, 56 
).
Studies have linked individuals with the highest magnesium intake with up to a 47% lower risk
for developing type 2 diabetes (57).
However, if you already eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods, you probably will not benefit from
supplements (58
).
Magnesium-rich foods include:
dark leafy greens
squash and pumpkin seeds
tuna
whole grains
dark chocolate
bananas
avocados
beans
SUMMARY
Eating foods rich in chromium and magnesium regularly can help prevent deficiencies
and reduce the risk of blood sugar problems.
Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits.
It promotes lower fasting blood sugar levels, possibly decreasing its production by the liver or
increasing its use by cells (59 
, 60 
, 61).
Furthermore, studies show that vinegar significantly influences your body’s response to sugars
and can help improve insulin sensitivity (61, 62 
, 63 
, 64 
, 65 
, 66 
).
It may be mixed in a few ounces of water that you can drink before a high carb meal or be
mixed in salad dressing (67, 68
).
However, it’s essential to talk with your doctor before taking apple cider vinegar if you’re
already taking medications that lower blood sugar.
SUMMARY
Adding apple cider vinegar to your diet can help your body in many ways, including
reducing blood sugar levels.
11. Try apple cider vinegar
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7. Cinnamon is known to have many health benefits.
It’s been shown to improve insulin sensitivity by decreasing insulin resistance at the cellular
level (69 
, 70 
).
Studies show cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels by up to 29% (71 
, 72 
, 73 
).
It slows the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract, which moderates the rise in blood sugar
after a meal (74 
, 75 
).
However, there are risks involved if you take too much cinnamon.
SUMMARY
Cinnamon has been shown to help reduce fasting blood sugar levels and may help
improve insulin sensitivity.
Berberine is the active component of an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, including
treating diabetes (76 
).
Berberine has been shown to help lower blood sugar and enhance carb breakdown for energy
(77 
, 78
, 79 
).
What’s more, berberine may be as effective as some blood-sugar-lowering drugs. This makes it
one of the most effective supplements for those with diabetes or prediabetes (77 
, 80 
).
However, many of the mechanisms behind its effects are still unknown (79 
, 81 
). More high-
quality studies are needed to determine its safety and effectiveness.
Additionally, it may have some side effects, such as:
diarrhea
constipation
flatulence
abdominal pain
Speak with your healthcare provider first if you’re considering using berberine.
SUMMARY
Berberine can help lower blood sugar levels and manage diabetes. However, it may
have some digestive side effects.
Fenugreek seeds are a great source of soluble fiber, which can help manage blood sugar levels.
Many studies have shown that fenugreek can effectively lower blood sugar in people with
diabetes. It also helps reduce fasting glucose and improve glucose tolerance (82 
, 83 
, 84 
,
85 
).
Although not that popular, fenugreek can be added to baked goods to help treat diabetes (86 
).
The recommended dose of fenugreek seeds is 2–5 grams per day, although this varies from
study to study.
12. Experiment with cinnamon extract
13. Try berberine
14. Eat fenugreek seeds
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8. SUMMARY
Fenugreek seeds are easy to add to your diet and can help regulate blood glucose
levels.
It’s a no-brainer that maintaining a moderate weight will help improve your health and may help
prevent future health problems.
Weight management also promotes healthy blood sugar levels and has been shown to help
reduce your risk for developing diabetes.
Even a 7% reduction in body weight can decrease your risk for developing diabetes by up to
58%, and it seems to work even better than a common diabetes medication (87 
).
What’s more, these decreased risks can be sustained long term (88
, 89 
, 90 
).
It’s important to monitor your waistline, as it’s perhaps the most crucial weight-related factor for
estimating your diabetes risk.
A measurement of more than 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women and more than 40 inches (101.6
cm) for men is associated with an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, high blood
sugar levels, and type 2 diabetes (91).
Having a healthy waist measurement may even be more important than your overall weight (91).
SUMMARY
Keeping a moderate weight and waistline will help you maintain normal blood sugar
levels and decrease your risk for developing diabetes.
Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before making lifestyle changes or trying new
supplements.
This is particularly important if you have problems with blood sugar management or if you’re
taking medications to lower blood glucose levels.
If you have diabetes or have blood sugar management problems, it’s important to work with
your healthcare provider to create and start a treatment plan as soon as possible.
Read this article in Spanish.
Last medically reviewed on December 21, 2020
15. Maintain a Moderate Weight
The bottom line
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