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Can cranberry juice lower your blood sugar?

Contrary to what you might expect given the high carbohydrate content and medium GI score of cranberry juice, it may actually help you lower your blood sugar levels.

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Cranberry juice may be helpful in preventing or treating certain health conditions, including stomach ulcers and urinary tract infections, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fruit juices, especially those that are naturally high in carbohydrates, like cranberry juice, shouldn't be your main beverage if you are diabetic since they can raise your post-meal blood sugar levels. Regularly consuming low-calorie unsweetened cranberry juice in moderation, however, may actually lower your fasting blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrate Content

Foods that are high in carbohydrates usually raise your blood sugar levels more than those that are lower in carbohydrates. When choosing your cranberry juice, pay attention to which type you are buying. The more common sweetened cranberry juice cocktail has more carbohydrates, with 34.2 grams per cup, than unsweetened cranberry juice, which has 30.9 grams. One serving from the fruit group for diabetics typically contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, making a cup of cranberry juice more than two servings.

Glycemic Index

Other components in foods besides carbohydrates, such as protein, fiber and beneficial plant chemicals, can also affect how much and how quickly a food or drink increases blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is one way to estimate the effect of a particular food, with foods having a GI under 55 being considered low on the glycemic index and unlikely to have a large effect on your blood sugar. Those that are high, with a GI above 70, are more likely to cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Cranberry juice is low to medium on the glycemic index scale, with scores ranging from 52 to 68 depending on the type.

Research Results

Contrary to what you might expect given the high carbohydrate content and medium GI score of cranberry juice, it may actually help you lower your blood sugar levels. A study published in the "Journal of Medical Sciences" in April 2012 found that drinking 1 cup of cranberry juice per day for 12 weeks resulted in lower fasting blood sugar levels for diabetics compared to both the start of the study and the control group. The study authors suggest this may be a result of the high amount of antioxidants, including quercetin, cranberry juice contains.

Fitting Cranberry Juice into Your Diet

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