The human body regulates blood sugar by producing a hormone called insulin, which enables cells to use the sugar circulating in your blood. There are many factors that can affect your body’s ability to manage blood sugar, leading to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Managing blood sugar is especially important for individuals with diabetes to avoid potentially life threatening complications. If you need help managing your high blood sugar, try the following ways to lower blood sugar naturally.

1. Fiber

A great natural way to lower blood sugar is eating more fiber. This nutrient slows carb digestion and sugar absorption. This causes a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels following meals. Eating more fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can improve your body’s blood sugar management and help lower blood sugar levels. You can also get additional fiber from fiber supplements to meet your recommended daily intake.

2. Water

One of the simplest ways to lower blood sugar is to drink more water. When you drink enough water each day, your kidneys can better flush out excess sugar in urine. According to one study, people who drink more water are at a lower risk of high blood sugar and may even have a reduced risk of developing diabetes. Keep in mind that water is the best beverage for hydration, and drinking sugary or alcoholic beverages raises blood sugar even more.

3. Carb Monitoring

When you eat carbs, your body converts them into sugar. Insulin then helps your body store and use this sugar for energy. Eating too many carbs can reduce the effectiveness of this process, especially if you have insulin-function problems. Monitoring your carb intake and opting for whole grains and unprocessed carb sources can help your body better control blood sugar levels and prevent sugar spikes.

4. Exercise

Exercising regularly can improve your insulin sensitivity and help your muscles use blood sugar for energy, both of which can help lower blood sugar levels. Even just 10-minutes sessions of exercise a few times per day each week can make a significant difference in blood sugar management. It’s typically recommended to aim for around 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Some great forms of exercise include bicycling, brisk walking, swimming, dancing, and weightlifting.

5. Stress Management

Do you experience a lot of stress? You may not know that stress can contribute to high blood sugar. When you experience stress, your body secretes the hormones glucagon and cortisol, which cause a rise in blood sugar levels. To help lower blood sugar, try finding healthy stress management activities, such as deep breathing, journaling, puzzles, coloring, massage, yoga, and dancing.

6. Sleep

Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation can affect blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A lack of sleep can also increase appetite and promote weight gain, also impacting blood sugar levels. Additionally, cortisol levels increase with sleep deprivation, which play a role in blood sugar management. A great way to naturally lower blood sugar is to prioritize getting 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night.

7. Probiotics

Eating probiotic-rich foods and taking probiotic supplements may help naturally lower blood sugar levels. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that offer a number of health benefits, including blood sugar regulation. These bacteria may help lower fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, and insulin resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Probiotic-rich foods include fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut, and tempeh.

8. Berberine

Berberine is a natural compound found in several plant species that has been used extensively in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Research suggests this compound may help lower blood sugar by stimulating the breakdown of glucose, increasing insulin production, and promoting the use of sugar in the body’s tissues. Berberine supplements have demonstrated benefits for blood glucose metabolism to help with blood sugar management.

Know the Early Signs of Diabetes

These are some of the most effective natural ways to lower blood sugar. High blood sugar is often associated with diabetes, a chronic disease that can cause dangerous complications if left untreated. If you have high blood sugar, you may have diabetes. When it comes to this disease early intervention is key, so learn the early signs of diabetes so you can get the medical help you need to make living with diabetes as easy as possible.