Raw or cooked, depending on how it is cooked, this vegetable can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, so here’s how to eat it!

It is generally recommended to eat 5 fruits and vegetables per day to stock up on vitamins. But for these foods to be truly healthy, did you know that the way you prepare them matters. Indeed, today, we are telling you about a vegetable widely consumed by the French which does not have at all the same health properties if it is consumed raw or cooked. We will explain everything to you.

Industrial cakes or even candies cause a spike in blood sugar levels because of their high sugar content. Certain foods that one would not suspect also contain a lot of sugar: we are talking about vegetables with a high glycemic index. This is the case, for example, of carrots which, despite their many benefits for eyesight, cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Nutritionist doctor Pierre Dukan raised awareness on the subject via an Instagram video.

To still consume this food rich in vitamin C and beta carotene, everything depends on its cooking. Indeed, when consumed raw, its glycemic index is low because it only amounts to 16. It then helps lower blood sugar levels: “When the carrot is eaten raw, its sugars are trapped in a very resistant matrix of fibers which slows down their passage into the blood and the rise in blood sugar levels”. The expert adds that raw carrots “let it pass slowly” sugar in the blood and is therefore “without consequences on blood sugar levels”.

The real problem arises when cooking carrots because they contain different forms of sugar such as sucrose, glucose and fructose, which will not be assimilated in the same way when cooked. The latter will increase the glycemic index of this vegetable which will then be “3 to 4 times higher” only raw carrots, specifies the specialist. Thus, the blood sugar of a cooked carrot “generally exceeds 50”. For what ? Because cooking will “predigest” the fibers present in the carrot, the very ones which allowed the sugars of the vegetable to pass very gently into the blood. Thus, the sugars released by the vegetable rush into the blood, sharply raising blood sugar levels.” Verdict? This causes blood sugar to rise after eating it!

You will therefore have understood that you should rather focus on grated carrots or carrot sticks which, in addition to being good for your health, allow you to avoid an excessively high glycemic peak.