Glipizide is a medication for type 2 diabetes, that requires one to maintain a balanced glucose level in the body. To Keep them maintained, you must take an essential diet and know which foods to avoid while taking glipizide. This will help you in being counterproductive and will get you a rapid spike in your blood glucose level. But before you move on to know what foods to avoid, you must know about this glipizide medication. 

Let’s have a brief discussion on what it is, what foods to avoid while consuming such medication, etc. 

What is Glipizide? 

Glipizide is a medication for type 2 diabetes in which the glucose level in the body decreases. Common brands of this medicine included Glucotrol and Glucotrol XL. The generic version of this medicine is Glipizide ER, which might be less expensive than this. Its dosage must be taken as per the doctor’s recommendation. However, the standard dosage starts at 5 milligrams and can be increased to a maximum of 40 milligrams daily. The dosage must be consumed at least 12 hours apart. 

Which Foods To Avoid While Taking Glipizide?

Following are some foods to avoid while taking glipizide:  

1. Alcohol Based Foods:

Alcohol Based Foods

To limit your high or low sugar, you must be mindful of alcohol intake as a liquid or in foods. If you consume alcohol while on glipizide, there will be an increase in hypoglycemic risks. 

Following are the things that you should know in this regard while you are on medication: 

  • Hypoglycemia: This arises when alcohol inhibits gluconeogenesis in the liver and may lead to delayed hypoglycemia if you consume it on an empty stomach. 
  • Blood sugar monitoring: Glucose level will fluctuate with the consumption of alcohol, thus it must be avoided when on medication.
  • Symptoms awareness: You must be aware of symptoms of hypoglycemia like confusion, dizziness, and excessive sweating. 
  • Moderation: While consuming alcohol, do it moderately. An individual taking Glipizide, should not get more than one drink in a day. 

2. Limit Refined Carbohydrate Foods:

Excess intake of refined carbohydrates causes a rapid increase in blood glucose levels due to which there can be complications in your diabetes. Thus, reduce the intake of such refined carbohydrate items. Some of the refined carbs that you need to avoid are white bread, sugary snacks, and pastries.

You can further replace refined carbohydrates with full-grain alternatives like whole wheat or brown rice foods. This will help you maintain blood glucose when you are on glipizide medication.

3. Artificial Sweeteners: 

Artificial sweeteners like condensed milk are some major foods to avoid while taking glipizide. It is essential to understand that these sugar alternatives can highly impact your insulin level or glycemic index. Following are some factors that you need to consider in this regard: 

  • Sweetener safety: The safety of sweetener must be ascertained first. Agency like FDA regulates these items and according to its report most artificial sweeteners are safe to consume. Research shows that it offers various long-term health benefits when consumed in the right amount. 
  • Insulin response: Due to any consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners, insulin response may be affected. Thus, be careful about your insulin response and its sensitivity over time. 
  • Glycemic index: It is currently not ascertained whether it gets affected by artificial sweeteners or not. But it offers minimal effects and may disrupt blood sugar levels. 
  • Individual variability: Responses to artificial sweeteners may vary from person to person. It is not confirmed that every person will have the same response to artificial sweeteners. Thus, it is suggested to monitor your blood glucose level and insulin response accurately from time to time. 

List Of Foods To Avoid While Taking Glipizide:

There are certain food items that you must be careful of before including them in your diet. Having dietary pitfalls may lead to the ineffectiveness of glipizide. Thus, optimize your efforts and manage diabetes by focusing on overall health. However, the following is the list of foods to avoid while taking glipizide. 

1. White bread and pasta: 

No doubt pasta are tasty treat, but they are rich in carbs and may affect the diabetic health of a person. White bread also has a high glycemic index which may cause an increase in blood sugar levels, so avoiding such items is highly preferred. 

2. Fruit juice:

Though fruit juice is good for health, it may not be the case for diabetic patients. They contain natural sugar and may have negative effects on health. Thus, avoiding fruit juice may be suggested for those who are on glipizide. 

3. Potatoes:

This food item contains high carbs and may increase blood sugar levels. Having any food with potato as its ingredient must be avoided. 

4. Dried fruits:  

Dried fruits also contain natural sugars like glucose and fructose. They are problematic for diabetic patients who are on glipizide medication. 

5. White rice:

White rice is a great staple but it has a high glycemic index, which may cause rapid increase in blood sugar levels. It can also lead to hyperglycemia. So, it is good to prefer brown rice over white rice. 

6. Processed snacks:

Processed and packaged snacks must be avoided as they have refined carbohydrates and may lead to negative effects on health. 

7. Full-fat dairy: 

Full-fat dairy products are very harmful to diabetic patients. They are high in calories and fats. Excess consumption of such products will cause weight gain, and for insulin resistance patients it is not a good sign. 

How Do Food Portions Affect Blood Glucose Levels?  

During the treatment of type 2 diabetes, you must have certain foods that align with your glycemic index. The glycemic index refers to the relative ranking of carbohydrate-rich foods that affect the blood glucose level of the body. Therefore, foods with low glycemic index can be involved in diet but must be in appropriate quantities. 

Having portion control is highly essential to maintain optimal blood glucose levels in the body. Consuming large quantities of even low glycemic index foods can also lead to a further increase in blood sugar. Thus, it is good to have measured foods in optimal serving sizes in your diet.

Conclusion:

While managing blood sugar levels, you need to know certain essential food items to avoid. Try to avoid food items including refined carbs, artificial or natural sweeteners, or alcohol while taking glipizide. Now, that you understand what foods to avoid while taking glipizide, it’s time to implement it in your daily routine. 

After what time should I take glipizide?

You should take glipizide after having your meal. It is more effective when you have a meal and 30 minutes before you start working effectively.

How does glipizide work?

When you eat glipizide, it will stimulate your pancreas and release more insulin. This will help you keep your blood glucose level balanced.

Can I eat grapefruit while taking glipizide?

No, grapefruit or its juice is not recommended when you are taking glipizide. Any kind of fruit or fruit juice is not suggested as they have natural sugar and may affect your glucose level.

Are there any nondietary factors that affect your body?

Yes, stress and sleep patterns often cause an impact on the body and may alter blood glucose levels. Thus, having sound sleep and less stress is the optimal treatment for your diabetic issues.

Related Posts:-