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Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels With This Ingredient

A review of scientific studies revealed that people who ate roughly a cup of cooked greens a day were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

unidentifiable woman dropping greens into glass bowl in a kitchen

It's soup season. And whether you get yours from a can or find the time to whip up one of mom's classics, there's a soup ingredient your blood sugar will love: greens.

That's right. Winter green vegetables like kale and chard make great soup add-ins. And a review of scientific studies revealed that people who ate roughly a cup of cooked greens a day were 14 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Good things in greens

Results from six different studies of over 200,000 adults confirm it. The researchers looked at overall fruit and vegetable intake, but nothing seemed to have the impact on diabetes risk that leafy green vegetables did—cooked or raw. It could be because most greens are a great source of magnesium. In other studies, higher intakes of this mighty mineral have been linked to a lower risk of diabetes and helped sustain healthy blood sugar levels. Greens also contain a variety of disease-fighting antioxidants that help protect the body in myriad ways.

Greens and beyond

As a food group, researchers say leafy green vegetables include a wide range of good-for-you foods, including lettuce, kale, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and edible herbs like dill and parsley. And their benefits go well beyond just healthy blood sugar levels.

Medically reviewed in October 2018.

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