‘My HbA1c is 10.6%. How do I reduce it naturally?’

'My HbA1c is 10.6%. How do I reduce it naturally?' An HbA1c of 10.6% is significantly high and indicates poorly controlled diabetes.

Key points

• 5 min read New Delhi Sep 7, 2026 06: 00 AM IST.
• "An HbA1c of 10.6% is significantly high and indicates poorly controlled diabetes, " Dr Rajiv Kovil, Diabetes & Obesity Specialist at Zandra Healthcare, tells indianexpress.com.
• A similarly distressed Quora user lately turned to the internet with the query: My sugar level – HbA1c is 10.6.
• An HbA1c of 10.6% is a sign that your blood sugar has been running much higher than it should over the past few months.
• But with an HbA1c of 10.6%, lifestyle changes may not be enough on their own.

5 min read New Delhi Sep 7, 2026 06: 00 AM IST. Are there natural ways to reduce HbA1c? (Image: Freepik).

Meanwhile, an HbA1c of 10.6% is a sign that your blood sugar has been running much higher than it should over the past few months. If you are already taking diabetes tablets, you may wonder whether changing your diet, exercising more or trying a "natural" remedy can bring the number down.

Notably, a similarly distressed Quora user lately turned to the internet with the query: "My sugar level – HbA1c is 10.6. How do I reduce it along with tablets? Is there any natural way?"

We decided to dig deeper and find out what you can actually do beyond medication, and if lifestyle changes create a meaningful difference when HbA1c is this high. What does an HbA1c of 10.6% mean?

"An HbA1c of 10.6% is significantly high and indicates poorly controlled diabetes, " Dr Rajiv Kovil, Diabetes & Obesity Specialist at Zandra Healthcare, tells indianexpress.com. It corresponds roughly to an average glucose level of 258 mg/dL over the preceding two to three months.

Nevertheless, HbA1c is only one part of the picture. It reflects glucose exposure, but not whether high blood sugar has already affected other organs. How long a person has had diabetes additionally matters as the risk of complications increases with disease duration.

At this level, Dr Kovil notes treatment needs active reassessment, rather than simply waiting for the next HbA1c test. Doctors need to look at fasting and post-meal glucose levels, current medication and adherence, diet, weight and body composition, physical activity, sleep and other factors that could be contributing to high blood sugar. Screenshot of Quora query What can you do alongside your tablets? "Medication and lifestyle are partners, not alternatives, " Dr Kovil explains.

Start by looking at when and what you eat, particularly in the evening. An earlier, lighter dinner, avoiding late-night calories and getting adequate, regular sleep can backing better metabolic control.

While reducing refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks and highly processed foods, build meals around protein, vegetables and fibre. One strategy Dr Kovil recommends is eating vegetables and fibre and protein first, and having carbohydrates towards the end of the meal – what he calls a "carb-last" strategy.

Exercise should additionally become a regular part of diabetes management. Combining aerobic activity with resistance training can support improve fitness while preserving and building muscle. Even a 10-15-minute walk after meals can support blunt post-meal rises in blood sugar.

If a person has excess weight, losing weight where appropriate, along with managing stress and maintaining consistent sleep, can further backing metabolic health. Is there a natural way to lower HbA1c?

I often recommend a "carb-last" strategy: vegetables/fibre and protein first, carbohydrates toward the end of the meal: Dr Rajiv Koli Yes – but "natural" should mean evidence-based lifestyle changes, not replacing diabetes treatment with herbs or supplements.

"The most powerful natural interventions are losing excess visceral fat, improving muscle mass and fitness, eating predominantly minimally processed foods, increasing fibre, choosing better-quality carbohydrates, ensuring adequate protein, exercising regularly and sleeping well, " Dr Kovil notes.

Some dietary strategies may additionally assist modestly. Resistant starch, for example, may improve post-meal glucose responses. This can be discovered in appropriately cooled and reheated foods such as rice or potatoes when incorporated sensibly into an overall balanced diet.

Meal sequencing, portion control and post-meal walking are other simple measures that can support manage glucose levels.

But with an HbA1c of 10.6%, lifestyle changes may not be enough on their own. "Medication should be reviewed and potentially intensified by the treating clinician, " notes Dr Kovil.

And when it comes to products marketed as "natural diabetes cures", his advice is clear: "There is no herb, juice or supplement that substitutes for appropriate diabetes therapy."

'I'm 44 and diabetic: Can I regain muscle lost due to uncontrolled diabetes?' Don't stop at the sugar test.

For context, an HbA1c this high should additionally prompt a broader assessment of your health.

"Diabetes is not merely a blood-sugar disease; it is a multisystem metabolic and vascular disorder, " Dr Kovil notes.

As well as weight, waist circumference and body composition, depending on the individual, this means assessing kidney function and urine albumin-creatinine ratio, retinal health, blood pressure, cholesterol and other lipid levels, liver health and fatty liver.

For context, the feet should additionally be checked for circulation, sensation and neuropathy. Cardiovascular risk should be assessed too, with cardiac evaluation when clinically indicated.

While improving fitness, sleep and quality of life, so while bringing down HbA1c matters, the bigger goal is reducing the long-term risk of diabetes-related challenges affecting the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, liver and feet.

In short, 'My HbA1c is 10.6%. How do I reduce it naturally?' is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.