Novel 'Food Group' Regulates Elevated Blood Sugar Levels

For a long time, prominent natural health professionals and alternative cancer treatment centers have been highlighting the remarkable therapeutic advantages of a group of antioxidants known as flavonoids. While I don't claim to be an expert in the medical field, my team and I have consistently acknowledged and reported on many of their discoveries over the years.

Now, in a groundbreaking development, mainstream health authorities worldwide are beginning to take notice. They are now recommending the consumption of specific foods to increase the intake of these plant compounds, especially one called flavan-3-ols.

Finally, there is widespread agreement that incorporating foods rich in flavan-3-ols into your diet can enhance your well-being by reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol levels, and managing blood sugar levels.

Let's delve deeper into these compounds and the foods belonging to this new "food category."

Flavan-3-ols, a type of flavonoid, represent one example of bioactive plant chemicals. Bioactives are described as: "Substances found in foods or dietary supplements, apart from those essential for meeting basic human nutritional requirements, that contribute to changes in health conditions."

Overview

A panel of globally recognized scientific experts associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has finally concluded that the evidence is compelling enough to establish an official recommendation for the intake of flavan-3-ols.

Following an analysis of 172 studies, a different group of experts now suggests ensuring an adequate daily intake of flavan-3-ols.

In their assessment, they stated: "...diet quality plays a crucial role in the disease-free life expectancy related to heart and metabolic conditions... the potential impact of shifting dietary patterns towards including essential foods containing bioactive compounds should not be underestimated.

"A substantial and continually expanding body of research indicates that dietary bioactives play a pivotal role in maintaining human health and in preventing and alleviating diseases, particularly during the aging process," they elaborated.

Beneficial for blood sugar, circulation, and metabolism

The review revealed that decades of research have demonstrated the ability of flavan-3-ols to decrease the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes. This is achieved by reducing systolic blood pressure, enhancing blood circulation, decreasing total cholesterol levels, increasing HDL "good" cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, and serving as antioxidants to shield against cellular aging-related damage.

Dr. Kristi Crowe-White, the lead researcher, explained, stating, "Increasing the daily consumption of dietary flavan-3-ols to 400 to 600 milligrams may help in improving blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. A combination of these foods allows for intake within the recommended range to optimize heart and metabolic health."

Are you obtaining a sufficient amount of flavan-3-ols?

Exploring the novel "food category"

One might anticipate a list of leafy green vegetables or vibrant fruits rich in flavan-3-ols, but this time the story is different. These antioxidant compounds are present in a wide array of foods that might seem unrelated, including chocolate—yes!—specific fruits, and natural beverages such as tea.

"Flavan-3-ols, abundantly found in tea, apples, pears, berries, and chocolate or cocoa products, offer cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits," explained Dr. Gunter Kuhnle, another member of the expert team.

When I refer to a new food group, I am not joking. If you are not a tea enthusiast like myself, it might be worth considering giving it another chance.

Green tea takes the lead

While the experts listed various foods containing this phytochemical, green and black tea stand out in terms of the levels present. In fact, meeting the recommended intake without consuming these teas could be challenging.

For instance, an eight-ounce serving of green tea contains 318 mg of flavan-3-ols, while black tea contains 277 mg. The next highest source is a cup of fresh blackberries with 63 mg, followed by three squares of dark chocolate containing 19 mg. Regular portions of red wine, apples, cocoa powder, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes contain varying amounts of flavan-3-ols, ranging from five to 16 mg each.

Considerations regarding supplements

Dr. Kuhnle mentioned that meeting the guidelines can be achieved with "a couple of cups of tea, some red or purple berries, and an apple. It is much more effective to obtain your daily requirement from healthy foods or beverages rather than relying on supplements."

Although the expert group emphasizes that their recommendations are food-centric and not an endorsement of supplements, individuals who do not consume tea may have limited options if aiming to reach at least 400 mg per day.

One member of the expert team, Taylor Wallace, from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, acknowledged using a supplement containing flavan-3-ols himself.

This new recommendation to elevate your intake of dietary flavan-3-ols for health improvement holds significance for another reason...

A significant change in dietary intake recommendations

This recommendation demonstrates that the regulatory bodies in the food and nutrition sector are beginning to recognize the importance of bioactives in human health—and it is long overdue!

In 2014, an international group of experts advocated for the establishment of dietary reference intake (DRI) values for bioactives due to "substantial scientific evidence supporting a connection between their consumption and improved health outcomes or reduced disease risks."

Developing a DRI is crucial as it will lead to the promotion of bioactives as part of dietary health guidance, their inclusion on food labels, and increased consumer awareness.

According to researchers, "the establishment of the DRI builds upon the periodic Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) reports, which have been issued since 1941 by the National Academy of Sciences." The DRI encompasses the RDA, Adequate Intake (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UI), and Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) values, which are four nutrient-based values with specific applications for indicating the dietary health status of a population.

Our conclusion

While all these guidelines serve a purpose, in my view, most individuals do not necessarily require them.

By focusing on a nutritious diet rich in vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats like coconut oil and avocados, and whole grains, you can maintain a nutritional status that surpasses government recommendations.

Moreover, most people, particularly as they age, will likely need a higher nutrient intake than what is considered "adequate" or even the "tolerable upper intake level" by government standards.

Best Regards,
The Team