KATRIEN’S VERSION
Eat Arugula to Lower Blood Sugar.
My personal effects were immediate drops in Blood Sugar post ingestion with 20-30x chewing. (Allows it to enter the Bloodstream through the Mouth).
The Spicier and more intense the Bitter Flavor the stronger the effects.
The anti-diabetic effects come from Plant Flavonoids responsible for its Flavor Profile.
Most notably:
Kaempferol (Bitter)
Allyl ITC (Horseradish-style Spicy)
Isorhamnetin (Bitter without being astringent)
THE ARTICLE
Recently I had a friend loan Me their Blood Glucose Monitor for a little self-experimentation. With a pack of 150 strips on Stand-by I was beyond excited to start gathering some data on My Glycemic Variability and the fluctuations I was certain I could pinpoint with feeling on a day-to- day basis.
Needless to say besides poking My fingers up to 20x on the daily, (I was a little trigger-happy), I found some surprises, one of which I’m going to share with You in this Article.
(I’ll have a full Experimental Review coming out after the second set of Trials.)
I saw Blood sugar drops with all the classics, HIIT, Cold Showers, Glucose Disposal Agents (GDA’S), Post-Prandial Activity, but the one that took a little bit of digging and had Me walking around My Garden, exclaiming My surprise out loud like Mad Scientist was…
Sour Lettuce.
Also known as Arugula
That’s right. Salad.
Below I’m going to tell You all about Arugula’s Blood-Sugar lowering effects by uncovering all the nitty-gritty Scientific details, tell You how and when You can use it, plus, I’m going to share with You the minimum effective dose that worked for Me so You don’t have to force a fistful of bitterly bundled alluring Arugula into Your Gaping Maw.
But first, let’s take a deep dive.
ARUGULA SCIENCE
Arugula, or its way cooler pseudonym Salad Rocket, is a renowned Brassica of the Mustard family, which is where it gets its spicy kick from. Being a leafy green it holds all the reknnowned qualities that lend themselves to the Brassica family including their cardioprotective (here, and here), cancer-protective (here, here, here and here), Neuro-protective (here, here, and here),Anti-Inflammatory (here, here, here, here, here and here) and Anti-mutagenic effects (here, here, and here).
Brassica’s also known to have a sizeable repertoire of antioxidants, fiber, minerals, phenols, vitamins and enzymes, including SOD, Catalase, Peroxidase and Glutathione precursors. They also contain highly bioactive glucosinolates. that are activated by Your Microbiome, and even though they get a bad rap for their goitrogenic effects, they seem to be pretty easily offset by including more iodine in the diet.
Funny enough Brassica’s are shown to be especially effective against preventing Cancer from occuring in the Thyroid and Colon.
Favored for their hot, peppery flavor Arugula is loaded to the brim with flavonoids. Flavonoids are responsible for the Color, Fragrance and Flavor of a plant, where they have a primary role in giving whatever Organism that produces them a significant survival advantage. These secondary metabolites that support the plant lend themselves to having fantastic carryover in Humans.
Hence their recent and exalted significance in the Medical and Biohacking Community.
In Arugula the 3 main Flavonoids are Isorhamnertin, Kaempferol and Allyl isothiocyanate (allyl ITC). Kaempferol is the flavonol responsible for the bitter taste and Allyl ITC is the Glucosinolate that gives Mustards their Peppery Fire. In Arugula these tend to be the Flavonols that are the most pronounced.
These Flavanols are also where the Magic comes from.
KAEMPFEROL
Kaempferol is a Flavonol shared by other Superfoods like Moringa and Aloe Vera. It’s most well-known for it’s anti-cancer properties by modulating apoptotic pathways and preventing metastasis, but it also happens to have some pretty potent effects on lowering Blood Sugar.
In this study done on insulin-resistant mice, Kaempferol ingestion was shown to increase overall insulin sensitivity by altering enzyme activity that is responsible for releasing glucose into the Bloodstream from th e liver. Kaempferol showed the same effects seen in insulin-deficient mice while also increasing the uptake of glucose in Human Skeletal Muscle.
Another study found that feeding Kaempferol to diabetically induced mice lowered diabetic symptoms by nearly 25% and reduced fasting Blood Sugar levels by 33% in as little as 4 weeks. All done without altering glucagon or insulin levels, but instead by increasing glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and preventing gluconeogenesis from occuring in the liver.
To keep the ball rolling another study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Internal Medicine found that administration of Kaempferol to diabetically-induced mice not only decreased glucose levels in the blood but also reverted glycoprotein levels, (think AGE’s), back to normal.
Not a bad track record for a Flavonol with a reputation for being bitter.
In short, Kaempferol showcases its Blood sugar lowering effects by suppressing glucose production in the Liver while simultaneously increasing insulin sensitivity in the muscles, a nice 1-2 combo.
ISORHAMNETIN
Isorhamnetin is a metabolite of the famed Longevity Flavonol Quercetin and it has long been studied for its anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. Not only does it decrease Blood Glucose levels, but it also lowers inflammation, increases lipid Metabolism, (aka activates Your Fat-Burning Furnace) and prevents adipocyte differentiation, (stops making more Fat Cells).
This recent Study published in the Renowned Scientific Journal Nature found that by administering Isormanetin at low physiological doses Blood Glucose could be significantly lowered by upregulating GLUT4 Transporter Proteins in Skeletal Muscle.
In case I lost You in the scientific jargon, GLUT4 is like the Burly Longshoreman of the 60’s hucking Bags of Flour from the ships to the Docks as if they were Bundles of Feathers. And when You feed Him Isorhamnetin its like he took 3 shots of Espresso and a side shot of Adrenaline.
Put simply, productivity gets kicked up a notch.
The only difference is the Bags of Flour are Sugar and the Docks are Your Muscle Cells.
Isorhamnetin was also shown to stabilize Blood Sugar by increasing Insulin Sensitivity within the Liver. By promoting the activity of a Receptor called PPAR alpha, Isorhamnertin found in Arugula Extract is able to shuttle glucose from the Bloodstream into the Liver where it can be better directed towards appropriate Metabolic Pathways or stored as Glycogen.
So know You have both Liver and Muscle working overtime, with ease. Keeping Your Blood Sugar low and turning Arugula’s 1-2 combo, into a 3-4 Punch of Potency.
ALLYL ITC
Last but definitely not least on the list is Allyl ITC. Known as a strong anti-cancer compound and found most prominently in Brassicas, (who would’ve guessed it?), Allyl ITC shares the same mechanistic pathways as Isorhamnetin and Kaempferol to mediate Blood Glucose levels by increasing GLUT4 activity and inhibiting Gluconeogenesis in the Liver. In the same study Allyl ITC was found to increase Energy Production by ameliorating Mitochondrial Dysfunction induced by a High-Fat diet and increase Oxygen Consumption in Muscle Cells. Something that would be expected when Mitochondria are increasing productivity.
Allyl ITC was also shown to lower Blood Sugar in Mice through another protein known as TRPV1, a muscle cell receptor most readily activated under high temperatures. Additionally, this Study found that feeding AITC to diabetically-induced mice not only reduced blood glucose but also reduced total Cholesterol and Triglycerides by upregulating PPAR gamma and GLUT2 Transporter Proteins. (GLUT2 being the same Burly Longshoreman found in Muscle Cells, but this time its in the Liver and Kidneys.)
What’s more, a subsequent Experimental Review found AITC to lower oxidative stress, inflammation and metabolic Syndrome. nd if it didn’t already have an impressive track record Allyl ITC has also been shown to prevent further development of Fat Tissue by inhibiting the synthesis of Fatty Acids and Cholesterol and downregulating transcription factors associated with Adipogenesis.
This assortment of mechanistic tricks that Allyl ITC keeps up its sleeve to move glucose out of the blood is what keeps both Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Tolerance high, ensuring glucose is effectively shipped to where it needs to go and turning Allyl ITC into a Top-Notch contender in the Anti-Diabetic Rankings for Flavonoids.
ARUGULA: 3 - IN - 1
Now any one of these Flavonoids could be considered a Heavyweight for regulating Blood Sugar Levels and preventing Glycemic Spikes, but Arugula has all 3 packaged into 1. Of course soil composition, growing conditions and pest populations are all going to play a role in the relative abundance of each of these flavonoids, but the Flavor profiles make one Arugula Leaf readily distinguishable from another.
As Your palate begins to become familiar and sensitized to the apparent differences You will be able to begin to notice what works best for You as You establish a crosstalk between Your Gustatory System and Energy Levels.
Alternatively if You wanted to find the most potent leaf that offers a little bit more confirmation than Your taste buds, hooking Yourself up to a CGM or poking Your finger a couple times a day might not be a bad route to go.
But all in all Arugula stands quite well on its own. As mentioned before, Arugula alongside other Brassica’s are loaded with Glucosinolates (Allyl ITC included) all of which have been shown to reduce fat deposition in White Adipose Tissue (WAT) and the Liver, decreases proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes (Fat Cells), increase energy expenditure by inducing WAT Browning, improve insulin sensitivity, reduces inflammation and decreases food intake.
In other words burn Fat and prevent Fat from storing. Two things that are seldom seen when Blood Sugar is high.
Arugula has also been shown to have antihypertensive effects a common harbinger of diabetes and insulin resistance and the capacity to lower Blood Sugar by adipocyte glucose uptake similar to the antidiabetic drug Rosiglitazone. Independantly, administration of Arugula extract at a dose of 12ug/ml also increased glucose uptake in Muscles and Liver and dropped G6Pase activity, the enzyme responsible for releasing Glucose into the Bloodstream, by 40%.
This is pretty significant considering Insulin reduces G6Pase activity by 66% and is the go to hormone for Diabetic Patients.
So how do You reap all these wonderful blood sugar lowering effects from the Exalted Eruca Sativa?
Read on.
DOSAGE & TIMING
All things considered You could crunch the numbers and do the Math on the last study and come up with a rough estimate for how much is enough or You could test and retest.
This is a method I would suggest as each plant is going to be different based on maturity, soil type, harvest time and climate. But for Me all it took was a fistful, (see photo), to drop My Blood Sugar by 15 mg/dl in less than 10 mins. My choice of Arugula was pretty close to the flowering and so the Spice Factor (Allyl ITC) was pretty high.
Additionally I ate the leaves raw, (steaming would also work), as boiling significantly reduces Flavonoid availability in Brassica’s. This was also accompanied with an immediate change in Energy levels which I assume is from the increase in Mitochindrial Activity and the more efficient use of glucose.
So instead of having a full blown Arugula Salad, grab a bundle out of the fridge or garden and pop it in Your Mouth immediately before, after or during a meal. With adequate chewing I found that even eating Arugula within a 20 min time window of a carb rich meal My Blood Sugar was able to maintain its stability. If I paired this up with a Brassica Salad or GDA, the Blood Sugar bump was minimal, maybe rising by 20 mg/dl.
Long Story Short, eat a handful close to mealtime and it’s another tactic to pull out of Your back pocket.
SUMMARY
So there You have it. If the Blood Sugar lowering effects of Arugula don’t turn You on to Salads maybe it’s Anti-Cancer, Tumor-suppressing, Anti-Inflammatory, Ulcer-Preventing, Anti-Clotting factors will. Or maybe You might just bundle a couple handfuls into Your Morning Blender Bowl so You can say Your having a Rocket Salad. Which let’s be honest sounds way cooler than having a Green Smoothie.
What are Your thoughts? Feeling? Can You get past the bitter taste of Arugula? What are Your work arounds to gaining full VIP access to all the Health-promoting benefits? Have You stacked anything alongside Arugula to amplify the Blood Glucose stabilizing effects? Reach out through the intake form below or get in touch over Social Media, I’d love to hear what You have to say!
