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Does Gluten Affect Blood Sugar?

Does Gluten Affect Blood Sugar?

How does gluten affect blood sugar? This is a topic that is very rarely approached in conventional circles. Most nutritionists and doctors will tell you to make sure to eat plenty of grains if you have a blood sugar problem. Unfortunately, this advice can exacerbate blood sugar issues.

When it comes to diabetes and blood sugar problems (hyper and hypoglycemia), the advice we often times here from doctors is way off. One of the reasons for this has to do with the poor level of nutritional education taught in medical schools. You see, when it comes to these kinds of medical conditions it’s important to understand how gluten affects glucose in the blood.

Nutrition, Nutrition, & More Nutrition

When a person is diagnosed with blood sugar issues, the conversation with the doctor usually goes like this –

Mrs. Jones, your blood sugar levels are high. I am going to prescribe you a medication to help you control them. I will need you to watch your diet closely. Limit your sugar intake, eat plenty of whole grains and vegetables. You will also need to exercise more. Because diabetes runs in your family, you will probably need to take this medication for the rest of your life. In addition, to this medicine, I am going to also prescribe you a statin to ensure that your cholesterol stays low. Studies show that managing cholesterol aggressively helps with people who have blood sugar problems.

You may have experienced the talk above. Unfortunately, this advice couldn’t be further from the truth. The following short video will break down what you need to understand about nutrition and blood sugar control:

Always Consider Nutrition and Exercise First

Now that you have a better understanding about the importance of food, vitamins, minerals, gluten vs. glucose and their relationship with blood sugar control, it is up to you to make sure that your doctor helps you to evaluate these areas. If he won’t or can’t, find one who will. Remember that medications don’t solve the blood sugar issue and can create additional health problems that actually increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and muscle damage.

The two biggest and most helpful ways to achieve better control over blood sugar that don’t involve seeing a doctor are:

  1. Diet Control – Eliminate gluten and processed grain based foods (they can cause elevations in your blood sugar), processed sugar (including artificial sweeteners), dairy, hydrogenated fats to start. These foods have the greatest potential to wreck your blood sugar.
  2. Begin a high intensity interval based exercise program. If you aren’t sure where to begin, consider hiring a professional to help you get started. Consider the image below as it demonstrates the profound effect that exercise has on the hormones that regulate your blood sugar

muscle wasting

In addition, use a high quality, gluten free multi-vitamin and Omega 3 supplement. Remember, those who are gluten sensitive are already at a disadvantage, as they are at higher risk for nutritional deficiencies due to intestinal damage from past gluten exposure.

If your doctor is open to evaluating your nutritional status, you should have them do so. I have seen a number of clients who had diabetes because of long term nutritional deficiencies that went undetected with traditional lab testing. The most important nutrients to test for are:

Always looking out for you,

Dr. Osborne – The Gluten Free Warrior, and don’t forget to leave a comment or share this article with a loved one. Together we can help more 🙂

14 Responses

  1. I have a friend that has bad bad.Diabetic..the doctored have him on one to bring the sugar down then one to bring it up..he is so confused he has been a diabetic over couple of years ago been helping him figure ways to bring it down..he is afraid tis stuff is go a kill him..me has been in the hospital way to many times because of the sugar way over 600..

  2. How about beans,do they have the same effect as grains in the break down to sugar or are they different somehow. I don’t eat the grains but have been still eating beans. was wondering if I should not eat them either?

  3. Assuming Vitamin levels are good, Shoud we still eat dairy in correct unadulterated forms like according to weston price?

  4. Hi Dr. Osborne,

    Thank you so much for the video on blood sugar. It is quite informative and helpful ! At last, i have an understanding on how our pancreas work and will definitely show your video to my family.

    Anyway, should we include RAW milk in our diet? It’s supposed to be very good for us, isn’t it? What shall we be eating if we can’t have grains? What’s a good substitute?

    Thank you and all the best !

    Helen

    1. Helen,
      Your question cannot be answered generically, as you are a unique person. In my clinic, I test people to determine the answer to these questions, and that is what I recommend you have your doctor do.
      All the best,
      Dr. O

  5. Dr. Osborne,
    I watched both parts of your videos on blood sugar control and I must say, it was the best I’ve ever seen that explains how sugar gets processed and the connection between the cholesterol controlling drugs and type II diabetes. I have been hearing about how you can develop type II diabetes if you are on cholesterol inducing drug and your videos hit it right on the nail. Thank you so much for sharing this information with your readers.

    I will be sure to pass this on to my family and friends who are still not convinced how dangerous both blood pressure and cholesterol medications are for your body.

  6. Love this Topic on Blood Sugar. The best educational explanation I’ve come across. I’ve struggled with Diabetes for 4 years. And it’s true after taking Metformin, my doctor wants to add Victoza to assist with controlling blood sugar levels and add cholesterol statins and blood pressure meds. After a month of taking statins, my chest area has been experiencing discomfort aches. I don’t feel well all the time even knowing how my nutritioBnal deficiencies are low in Vit D, Mag, Calcium, Zinc, CoQ10, B12, Niacin. I will take advice and start exercising but do I stop all my meds and just start on replenishing lost vitamins and minerals?

  7. Thank you for the video . My husband has had 15 years stable sugars When went gluten free 2 years ago his iron levels got high from taking iron pills for anemia and the sugars went up. I am sure going gluten free let the excess iron in so we quit the pills but can’t. Get back to stability. I even said go. Back on gluten I found his Irish ancestry put him at risk for high iron. Which can block insulin. Have you heard of this. Sincerely. Mary Wier in. Chattanooga. I am on cell phone. The above e mail is my PC. Thanks ?

  8. I have been wheat free for four days now. Mainly eating eggs in one slice of bacon for breakfast some fruit no more than two servings. Meats veggies salads hard cheese nuts for the other meals.The problem is my blood sugar has been climbing each day that I’ve eaten this way.What could be causing this? My blood sugar is never been above 110 2 hours after eating but now fasting 120 and 2hours after supper its 139

  9. I just happened onto this website. I can’t believe that about 2 weeks ago I decided to cut grains and dairy on my own. In that period of time my sugar (with 1500 mg of Metformin a day for about a year)dropped from 180-200mg in the am to 134 this morning. In addition to that I began a supplement of calcium-zinc-magnesium about a week ago because a friend recommended it. I seemed to have done the right thing without knowing the real reason behind my sugar problem. I saw Dr. Osborne’s video and it blew me away. I hope that the past two weeks is not a fluke.

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