But once the complications of diabetes start to occur, nearly every aspect of your health can be affected. This is known as insulin resistance. As a result, the level of glucose in the blood rises. The pancreas initially responds by producing more insulin, but it will inevitably not be able to keep up, resulting in high blood glucose levels—a condition called hyperglycemia.

This can lead to such serious health issues as blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and amputations of the feet, legs, or toes if it is not managed properly. But prediabetes itself is a serious health issue. Each of those conditions raises the risk for serious issues, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

In people with prediabetes, some of the long-term damage to the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys may already be starting. The first step is to know the risk factors, which can help determine whether or not you should be screened for the condition.

Without screening, early signs of insulin resistance can be hard to identify—a person can have prediabetes for years without knowing it.

Obesity, an underlying cause of insulin resistance, is a major risk factor. A study published in found that participants who had obesity were about six times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those at a healthy weight, regardless of genetic predisposition; people who were overweight had 2.

Other common risk factors for prediabetes include being older than 45, exercising fewer than three times a week, having a parent or sibling with or a family history of type 2 diabetes, and giving birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds.

Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , a hormonal disorder, are also at higher risk for the condition. However, risk can be complicated for some people. Anam explains. Anyone who is not sure about their risk can take a simple online prediabetes test provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.

Problems with insulin often start around puberty, says Yale Medicine endocrinologist Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD , who treats both children and adults. But there are other factors, too. Pregnancy can also lead to struggles with weight for many women. Gestational diabetes , which usually resolves after the baby is born, is another prediabetes trigger.

Around menopause, changes in estrogen levels are associated with an increase in fat around the waist, which is considered a risk factor for diabetes.

In general, those who maintain good physical health as they age can avoid prediabetes. Heart disease can impact physical activity, as can the use of multiple medications, including glucocorticoids—steroids that, among other things, increase insulin resistance and glucose production by the liver, resulting in increased blood glucose levels.

They can also make people who take them feel hungrier, which leads to increased food intake and further contributes to hyperglycemia. Anam says. All children experience metabolic and hormonal changes during puberty, along with a decrease in insulin sensitivity; problems tend to develop when an adolescent has obesity, explains Dr.

Lifestyle changes are critical to prevention in kids because there are no effective medications for reversing prediabetes in that age group, says Michelle Van Name, MD , a Yale Medicine pediatric endocrinologist. The DPP consists of an intensive week healthy lifestyle intervention followed by a maintenance phase, administered via smartphone or computer.

There are also CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs that provide structured support from a trained lifestyle coach and support groups in person or online. Programs are year-long and focus on making long-term changes. Van Name also recommends starting with simple interventions at home and expanding on them over time, especially when working with children.

The interventions might include pursuing more physical activity as a family or trying different-colored foods on the dinner plate, she adds. For people with type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends getting up every 30 minutes to do some light walking or resistance training during periods of prolonged sitting.

This can help reduce blood glucose levels. For some people with prediabetes, doctors may prescribe metformin to help control blood sugar levels.

While this figure is hopeful, the NIH states that medications do not appear to be as effective as certain lifestyle changes. It also confirms that metformin can have side effects.

In May , the Food and Drug Administration FDA recommended that some makers of metformin extended release remove some of their tablets from the U.

This is because an unacceptable level of a probable carcinogen cancer-causing agent was found in some extended-release metformin tablets. If you currently take this drug, call your healthcare provider. They will advise whether you should continue to take your medication or if you need a new prescription.

Prediabetes can develop into diabetes, but making strategic changes to diet and exercise habits can often prevent this, especially if the changes happen early. There is no one-size-fits-all diet for people with prediabetes. Anyone who receives this diagnosis should ask their doctor, a dietitian, or both for advice.

Read this article in Spanish. A low-carb diet is one strategy to help manage diabetes symptoms and reduce the risk of complications. In this article, learn why a low-carb diet…. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar and prevent complications.

Learn about the best diets…. While specialists do not recommend a specific diet for diabetes, research shows a ketogenic diet may improve blood sugar management. Prediabetes may lead to type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes, including healthy eating and exercise, may help manage or reverse prediabetes.

Prediabetes is a common condition that can develop into type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is when blood glucose levels are high, but not high enough to…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

Why Parkinson's research is zooming in on the gut Tools General Health Drugs A-Z Health Hubs Health Tools Find a Doctor BMI Calculators and Charts Blood Pressure Chart: Ranges and Guide Breast Cancer: Self-Examination Guide Sleep Calculator Quizzes RA Myths vs Facts Type 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood Sugar Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction Connect About Medical News Today Who We Are Our Editorial Process Content Integrity Conscious Language Newsletters Sign Up Follow Us.

Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Human Biology. Nervous system Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Immune system.

Diet tips for prediabetes. Medically reviewed by Jerlyn Jones, MS MPA RDN LD CLT , Nutrition — By Jennifer Huizen — Updated on April 26, Foods to eat Fiber Carbohydrates Glycemic index Proteins Alcohol Foods to limit Eat regular meals Plate method DASH diet Eating out Meal planning Other strategies Summary A person with prediabetes has blood sugar levels that are high but not yet within the diabetes range.

Prediabetes diet: Foods to eat. Share on Pinterest Getty Images. High-fiber foods. Glycemic index. Food GI potatoes 71 rice 67 bread 64 breakfast cereals 61 pasta 52 fruits 51 cookies 49 confectionary 48 dairy products 35 nuts Prediabetes diet: Foods to limit.

Nutrition resources For more science-backed resources on nutrition, visit our dedicated hub. Was this helpful? Eat regular meals. The plate method. The DASH diet. Eating out. Meal planning. Other strategies. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Share this article. Latest news Ovarian tissue freezing may help delay, and even prevent menopause. RSV vaccine errors in babies, pregnant people: Should you be worried? Scientists discover biological mechanism of hearing loss caused by loud noise — and find a way to prevent it.

How gastric bypass surgery can help with type 2 diabetes remission. Atlantic diet may help prevent metabolic syndrome. Related Coverage. A guide to low-carb diets for diabetes. Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.

Diabetes: Best diets for weight loss. Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD. Does the ketogenic diet work for type 2 diabetes? Medically reviewed by Kathy W.

Warwick, R. Naturally reversing prediabetes: What to know Medically reviewed by Michelle L. Griffith, MD. What you need to know about prediabetes. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.

It improves oxygen circulation throughout the body and increases energy-enhancing hormones like norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol. It works important muscle groups that you might not reach through regular walking.

More importantly, walking improves your blood sugar and thus increases insulin sensitivity, reversing prediabetes. In a Diabetologia study , researchers concluded that walking 11 miles every week slightly more than 1. Red raspberries may be just what the doctor prescribed if you have prediabetes.

According to a study conducted by scientists at the Clinical Nutrition Research Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology, people who consumed frozen red raspberries showed lower blood sugar and lower insulin. And for those who had a full two cups of frozen berries, they found lower triglycerides after a high carb, moderate fat meal.

Raspberries may be beneficial for patients with prediabetes, insulin resistance, and type-2 diabetes. The study published in the journal Obesity involved 32 participants aged between 20 and 60 who were given high carbohydrate breakfasts with moderate amounts of fat, along with either 1 or two cups of frozen red raspberries, on three occasions, with a control group receiving no raspberries.

Researchers noted that those who took raspberry-rich breakfasts had lower levels of blood sugar than those who ate raspberry-free breakfasts, indicating that raspberries have potential blood sugar-lowering properties that can be helpful in reversing prediabetes.

These sweet, tart fruits have also been found to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties which may lower the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke.

The humble raspberry is also low in carbs and chock full of vitamins and dietary fiber. Raspberries are also rich in colorful compounds called anthocyanins, also found aplenty in other berries like red grapes, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries.

These compounds have been linked to a positive effect on cholesterol levels, lower insulin resistance, and reduced fasting plasma sugar levels. Moreover, red raspberries have high tannin content, which are compounds that play a role in blocking alpha-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch.

By doing so, tannin-rich raspberries may lower the number of carbs and calories absorbed into the blood after you eat. The net benefit is that tannins may improve the glucose levels in the blood.

Together, these groundbreaking benefits make raspberries one of the most prediabetic and diabetic-friendly fruit snacks. Intermittent fasting IF — an eating approach in which you limit your food consumption to specific times throughout the day — is all the rage right now in the health and wellness space.

The principle is the same for each IF method: you must go through alternating periods of fasting and eating. Several research studies suggest that intermittent fasting may be useful in a variety of ways for people with prediabetes.

For instance, in a five-week study conducted by researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, one group of prediabetic men was put on a 6-hour intermittent fasting diet while those in the control group were allowed to consume food in a hour window. After five weeks, scientists saw a striking improvement in blood pressure, beta-cell function, and insulin sensitivity in the intermittent fasting group.

How so? First and foremost, people on an IF diet tend to consume fewer calories. More exciting is that research has shown that IF can help increase amounts of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine , boost growth hormone levels , and lower insulin levels , resulting in more fat breakdown and use for energy.

Overall, intermittent fasting can elevate your metabolism by well over 3. At the same time, intermittent fasting has two noteworthy direct benefits for patients with prediabetes, according to findings of a study.

As such, it helps protect you from developing type 2 diabetes. Every treatment plan for prediabetes has a diet component. You must watch what goes into your body, lest it tip the scale in favor of diabetes.

Foods that rank lower on the Glycemic Index GI are better for prediabetes as they are less likely to affect your blood sugar. Prediabetes researchers are actually finding that high carb food can slow your metabolism, cause weight gain and increase insulin resistance.

Lower GI foods include:. None of this is to suggest that you should cut off carbs; however, the trick is to play safe with portion control. A general rule of thumb is to load roughly half your plate with non-starchy veggies while a quarter should be dedicated to proteins.

The final quarter should be filled with low-GI starchy foods like peas, corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. Reversing prediabetes starts with healthy eating, and that often means staying away from certain foods that may result in blood sugar spikes.

The first rule of thumb is to cut down on simple carbs and get rid of sweetened beverages altogether. These easy-release carbs are usually loaded with sugar, plus they usually have no protein, fat, or fiber that can help slow down digestion. As such, they cause your blood sugar to skyrocket and, consequently, increase your chances of getting diabetes.

Refined carbohydrates are another class of foods that spells bad news for anyone on a mission to reverse prediabetes.

Examples include:. They rank very high on the Glycemic Index because they tend to be digested very quickly in your gastrointestinal tract. You should try to stay away from these refined carbohydrates whenever possible in order to to reverse prediabetes.

Please note that while whole wheat products are often touted as healthier, they often are high glycemic as well. Most baked goods, condiments, dressings, and spreads may have added sugar.

You should limit intake of your favorite sweet and savory foods, like sweets, desserts, candy, honey, sweet tea, punch, agave, syrups, sweetened yogurt, jellies, jams, and all sorts of pastries. Try to limit or avoid alcohol.

Some beers have "empty calories" while certain cocktails are jam-packed with sugar. If you must drink alcohol, make sure you have a glass of water handy to avoid dehydration. Cutting sugar is a great way to stay on top of your blood sugar, and it is one major step towards reversing prediabetes.

Weaning yourself off a sugar-rich diet won't be a small feat, so you must break your sugar-quitting journey down into small, easily manageable steps. The first step involves substituting your high-sugar drinks and foods like soda, desserts, etc.

with healthier yet palatable alternatives like smoothies and dried fruit. Dates, apricots, and other dried fruits are not only sweet and tasty but also packed with dietary fiber that slows digestion and keeps you full for longer.

Freshly-juiced smoothies are usually tasty, and you can choose what goes into them. Still, keep your smoothies simple; a little dash of protein powder, fresh fruit, and ice should do the trick.

Added sweeteners are a big no-no. However, note that bananas can be high glycemic, so use them with diligence. The next step is to swap smoothies and processed fruit for whole fruits. Processed fruit usually has quick-acting carbohydrates that can easily disrupt your blood sugar levels upon consumption.

Whole fruits, especially when eaten complete with the skin on don't forget to wash them properly , have significant amounts of dietary fiber which can be useful in reversing prediabetes. Whole oranges, apples, raisins, grapes, dates, and other fruits can be very glycemic.

Choose what fruits you eat with care, and check your blood sugar regularly. At this stage, you probably still need to eat several whole fruits to sate your sugar cravings.

But at some point, you will start losing your "sweet tooth," and that's the ultimate goal of this multi-step approach. And remember that fruits high in fiber and antioxidants can benefit your diet substantially. According to a study by the ADA , people with diabetes who exercised moderately for 30 minutes, three to four times a week, maintained healthy blood sugar levels for almost three hours longer each day than the non-exercising group.

The effects of high blood sugar can include nausea, loss of breath, and the eventual development of type 2 diabetes. Through this physical activity alone, this group lessened their exposure to these risks.

It's important to note that if you're starting an exercise routine for the first time, it's best to build up gradually to the recommended 30 minutes a day. So, start small, and break it into increments if needed — three ten-minute walks can be far less daunting than one long one, after all.

One of the most common causes of low blood glucose is too much physical activity. In fact, moderate to intense exercise may cause your blood glucose to drop for the next 24 hours following exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 84 million American adults-more than 1 out of 3-have prediabetes. If you need to speak to a professional about your diet or other prediabetes treatment questions, try Glucerna's Ask a Dietitian online chat service or find a registered dietitian in your area.

If you have personal medical questions, keep the line of communication open with your doctor, and be sure to make regular appointments to track your progress. A prediabetes diagnosis doesn't have to turn your world upside down. While it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed when facing something new, taking these steps may improve your chances of avoiding type 2 diabetes entirely.

Making a few simple changes now can add up to a lifetime of better health. What Is Insulin Resistance and How Is it Related to Diabetes? Insulin resistance is one of many terms people use when talking about their health, especially in the context of type 2 diabetes. But what is insulin resistance, and how are the two related?

Keep reading to discover the connection, risk factors and nutrition tips to help manage blood sugar. Diabetes Nutrition: 10 Foods to Help Manage Blood Sugar.

If you're living with diabetes, you probably know all about the careful balancing act that is diabetes nutrition. These 10 picks can help you manage blood sugar levels and keep your numbers in check. All Rights Reserved.

Please read the Legal Notice for further details.. Terms and conditions apply. Unless otherwise specified, all product and services names appearing in this Internet site are trademarks owned by or licensed to Abbott, its subsidiaries or affiliates.

No use of any Abbott trademark, tradename, or trade dress in the site may be made without the prior written authorization of Abbott, except to identify the product or services of the company.

At this time, we are experiencing problems with broken links on our site. As an interim solution, for full site functionality you must enable functional and advertising cookies. If you continue to opt-out of these cookies, some content on our site may not be viewable.

We use functional cookies to analyze your use of the site, improve performance and provide a better customer experience. We use advertising cookies to allow us, through certain data assigned and obtained from the user's device, to store or share with third parties information related to user's browsing activity in our website, in order to create an advertising profile and place relevant advertising in our website or those third parties websites.

For more information about how Abbott uses cookies please see our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy. Links which take you out of Abbott worldwide websites are not under the control of Abbott, and Abbott is not responsible for the contents of any such site or any further links from such site.

Abbott is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the linked site by Abbott. NUTRITION NEWS.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis The American Diabetes Association ADA recommends that diabetes screening for most adults begin at age More Information A1C test Glucose tolerance test.

Request an appointment. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Show references American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes — Diabetes Care.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Oct. The surprising truth about prediabetes. Diabetes: 12 warning signs that appear on your skin.

American Academy of Dermatology Association. Insulin resistance and prediabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes tests and diagnosis. Rett K, et al. Understanding prediabetes: Definition, prevalence, burden and treatment options for an emerging disease.

Current Medical Research and Opinion. Mahat RK, et al. Health risks and interventions in prediabetes: A review. Wallace AS, et al. Screening and diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes in US children and adolescents. Magge SN, et al. Evaluation and treatment of prediabetes in youth.

Journal of Pediatrics. Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services. Natural medicines in the clinical management of diabetes. Natural Medicines. About metabolic syndrome. American Heart Association.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

Click here for an email preview. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.

You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.

Many alternative therapies have been touted as possible ways to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes. But there's no definitive evidence that any alternative treatments are effective.

Therapies that have been said to be helpful in type 2 diabetes and are also likely to be safe, include:. Talk to your health care provider if you're considering dietary supplements or other alternative therapies to treat or prevent prediabetes.

Some supplements or alternative therapies might be harmful if combined with certain prescription medications. Your health care provider can help you weigh the pros and cons of specific alternative therapies.

You're likely to start by seeing your primary care provider. He or she may refer you to a specialist in diabetes treatment endocrinologist , a dietitian or a certified diabetes educator. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Diagnosis The American Diabetes Association ADA recommends that diabetes screening for most adults begin at age More Information A1C test Glucose tolerance test.

Request an appointment. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Show references American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes — Diabetes Care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Accessed Oct. The surprising truth about prediabetes. Diabetes: 12 warning signs that appear on your skin. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Insulin resistance and prediabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes tests and diagnosis. Rett K, et al. Understanding prediabetes: Definition, prevalence, burden and treatment options for an emerging disease. Current Medical Research and Opinion.

Mahat RK, et al. Health risks and interventions in prediabetes: A review. Wallace AS, et al. Screening and diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes in US children and adolescents.

Magge SN, et al. Evaluation and treatment of prediabetes in youth. Journal of Pediatrics. Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services. Natural medicines in the clinical management of diabetes. Natural Medicines. About metabolic syndrome.

American Heart Association. Exercise helps muscles soak up glucose to be used for fuel, and it's one of the best ways to improve insulin sensitivity. That said, you don't have to jump into an intense routine to see effects.

A study in Frontiers in Physiology found that regular physical activity was associated with lower insulin levels, and that high-intensity activity had additional potential benefits on insulin sensitivity. If that sounds like too tall an order at first, at least establish the habit by walking 10 minutes five to seven times a week and building from there, says Weisenberger.

Intermittent fasting IF —where you restrict your food intake to a specific window during the day—is on-trend right now. And there is some indication that IF may actually be useful if you have prediabetes. A International Journal of Endocrinology article that reviewed eight years of research found that IF is helpful for reducing fasting blood glucose, lowering glycosylated hemoglobin—a compound that measures three months worth of blood sugar levels—and reducing insulin levels.

This diagnosis is your wake-up call to ditch the habits that you know cut into good sleep, like staring at your phone and tapping out just one last email while in bed. Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes," says Weisenberger, who adds that sleep deprivation reduces insulin sensitivity even in adults without diabetes.

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes than getting five to seven hours of shut-eye over a year period, according to a Endocrinology and Metabolism study.

Pictured recipe: Muesli with Raspberries. Sweet, juicy red raspberries add more than flavor to your morning bowl of oatmeal or smoothie, per a study in Obesity. In a small study on adults who were overweight or obese and had prediabetes, those consuming at least one cup of red raspberries with breakfast experienced an improvement in glycemic control for two hours after the meal, which researchers attributed to improved insulin sensitivity.

Raspberries are yummy and a great source of fiber, but it's important to note that this research was supported by a raspberry industry group. Including plenty of other fiber-rich foods in your diet should help as well. Daily stressors are a given, but how you deal with them is what counts.

What self-care looks like—spending your lunch break in the sunshine, scheduling walking dates with friends—doesn't matter as much as doing it regularly. It may also affect glucose metabolism in some people," says Weisenberger.

If you're already walking more throughout the day, add in strength training too. According to a Sports Medicine-Open review of published studies on the topic, resistance training was effective in lowering blood glucose levels as well as body fat in those at risk for type 2 diabetes.

You don't have to bench heavy weights to reap the benefits, either. Start out with simple bodyweight exercises that are easily modifiable like lunges, squats and push-ups.

Achieving a glycosylated hemoglobin level of 5. But it's focusing on the process that helps us get to the goal and stay there," says Weisenberger.

By being journey-oriented, you can build healthy habits into your life, like making time for movement that feels good to your body or figuring out how to throw together quick dinners during busy weeks.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content.

Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services.

Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Special Diets Diabetes. By Jessica Migala is a health and fitness writer. Jessica Migala. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines.