Is it good to eat chili peppers when blood sugar is high?
Disease description:
Recently, my blood sugar has been a bit high. However, I usually enjoy eating chili peppers. I would like to ask, is it good or bad for blood sugar levels to eat chili peppers when one has high blood sugar?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Chili peppers themselves do not directly affect blood sugar levels. When blood sugar is high, moderate consumption of chili peppers can be beneficial.
The spicy component in chili peppers can promote insulin secretion, enhance insulin sensitivity and glucose utilization, thus helping to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance. Moreover, chili peppers are low in calories, making them helpful for patients with high blood sugar who need to control overall calorie intake. Moderate consumption of chili peppers can aid in weight and blood sugar management. In addition, chili peppers are rich in dietary fiber, which helps control the absorption of sugars from food, having a positive effect on stabilizing blood sugar levels.
It should be noted that excessive consumption of chili peppers may stimulate appetite, leading to increased food intake, thereby affecting blood sugar control. Patients with high blood sugar and poor gastrointestinal function may not tolerate the irritation caused by chili peppers and should avoid eating them on an empty stomach. It is also important to ensure balanced consumption, avoiding combining chili peppers with foods rich in vitamin C-degrading enzymes, such as pumpkin and cucumber, to prevent interference with nutrient absorption.
