AskNadia: Pre-diabetes and How The Glycemic Index Affects My A1C
Dear Nadia:
I am currently on a “pre-diabetic” watch because of excessive thirst and urination. My current A1c is 5.7. My last fasting glucose at eight hours was 106; at 12 hours 93.
After those readings I had a freshly squeezed carrot/apple juice ( two apples, two carrots) drink. An hour later my glucose was 77. I looked a little pale but was feeling OK.
Do apples lower glucose even when combined with the sweet carrots?
Thank you!
Elena
Dear Elena:
There are several facets to your question. Let me start with your A1C results.
Your fasting A1C of 5.7 and your fasting glucose of 106 puts you in the pre-diabetes range. The fasting glucose reading of 93 puts your A1C at 4.9 which boarder’s pre-diabetes. Adding anther layer to these numbers is the variance of plus or minus .5 percent accuracy in the test itself.
Your 5.7 A1C test result plus the .5 difference (assuming the test is erring on the higher end of the spectrum) will put your A1C at 6.2. Meaning your average glucose level would be 131 mg/dL, bringing you closer to the 140 mg/dL diabetes diagnosis. The 5.7 and 6.2 A1C would alert your healthcare professional team to recommend a few lifestyle changes. Primarily your diet and exercise.
Kudos for knowing your blood sugar level after eating. 77 mg/dL gives you an A1C of 4.3.
Hypoglycemia for most people is 70 mg/dL. It goes without saying, everyone is different. Work with your physician to determine your hypoglycemia, low blood sugar range and diet. Apples and or carrots are not categorized as foods that lower your blood sugar.
From the exactness of your readings, I can assume that you already have a blood glucose meter and test strips. You obviously are very aware of your numbers and are at a point where you are tracking the possible effects of food and your blood sugar results.
I also would monitor your blood sugar to determine the relationship between when and what you eat and when and what you do for exercise.
The Glycemic Index is a formula that determines how long it will take for a particular food to be metabolized as glucose. The lower the number, the slower it takes to metabolize the carbohydrate delivery. Apples and carrots have a glycemic index of 37 and 48 from a scale of 0-100. This is considered low, medium or high depending on your healthcare professional’s opinion.
You might also be interested in reading What’s the Science Behind The A1C?
Nadia
Disclaimer:
Nadia’s feedback on your question is in no way intended to initiate or replace your healthcare professional’s therapy or advice. Please check in with your medical team to discuss your diabetes management concerns.
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AskNadia (ranked #1 to 10 By Google), named “Best Diabetes Blog for 2017 by Healthline and with 19 nominations, Nadia Al-Samarrie’s efforts has made her stand out as a pioneer and leading patient advocate in the diabetes community.
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