Diabetics Should Avoid Fruits?
Eating fruits is normally a great thing for adults or children as fruits are a part of a healthy diet. But it is a completely different story for diabetes patients. So Diabetics should avoid fruits completely? Health professionals are rather ambiguous with their conflicting advice that patients should act with caution.. Many doctors in Europe ask their overweight or diabetic patients to reduce their consumption of fruits.
The results of a recent study suggests that eating more fruits did not seem to have adverse effects in diabetics and it actually contributed to more weight reduction and a greater decrease in the waist circumference of diabetics. Fruits provide plenty of antioxidants and dietary fiber. So the researchers concluded wholeheartedly that we shouldn’t ask diabetics to reduce their daily fruit consumption.
When you look at the glycemic load- GL values of fruits rather than the glycemic index values, you will realize that most fruits have low or moderate glycemic load values: Apple 6, Orange 4, two apricots 4, two kiwi fruits 8 (A GL of 20 or more is high, a GL of 11 to 19 inclusive is medium, and a GL of 10 or less is low).. Fruits also provide fiber, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and phenolic compounds, all of which contribute to the fight against diabetes complications and prevent them.
The first thing diabetics need to look out for are sugary/sweet foods, especially those made with artificial fruits. There is quite a lot of argument out there whether diabetics should avoid fruits completely. Many fruits are safe to eat as long as you are aware of your limitations. Health professionals tell you the daily recommended servings and you should follow that.
It will be in your interest if the fruits you eat are rich in fructose or glucose. Natural fructose won’t usually cause insulin metabolization in your body, hence there won’t be a direct significant effect on your blood glucose levels. But you do need to avoid fruits that are rich in glucose. Fruits juices and dried fruits are also a no no!
Apple is a diabetic’s friend. You would remember the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Although it is cheap and one of the most commonly found fruits in the world, it is one of the healthiest fruits in the world, because of being high in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Apple glycemic load value is only 4.
Being low in sugar and glycemic index, grapefruit should be an important part of a diabetic’s diet. It helps you lose weight and burn body fat. There is generally no harm in eating lots of it. An average grapefruit has a glycemic load value of 3 to 4.
Cherries are very high in antioxidants to fight free radicals that cause diseases in your body. From diabetes point of view, they help maintain stable blood glucose levels and help increase insulin levels. And eating cherries will not make you gain weight- their glycemic load value is only 6.
Now probably one of the best fruits you can have is avocado. Although they are generally expensive, it would be a good idea to have them occasionally to help keep your bad cholesterol down. As they are rich in potassium and magnesium, they also help maintain your healthy blood pressure. Both cholesterol and blood pressure factors contributing to the reduced risk of heart diseases.
Pomegranate has a combination of super powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals in your body, hence various chronic diseases. They can help improve a diabetes patient’s condition. As there is very little carb in pomegranate, its glycemic index or glycemic load value is not studied much, but we know that it is around 10.
Many diabetes patients are not sure whether they should eat peach or not. Peaches are low carb foods, but they are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants and vitamins. 1 medium peach’s glycemic load value is only 5. So they are quite safe to eat.
Fresh figs are very rich in nutrients and essential minerals- iron, calcium and potassium.. Most commonly found form of figs are dried figs at the shops but you should avoid them as the sugar is very concentrated in all kinds of dried fruits, including figs. Both green an black figs are very good for you, with a glycemic load value of 4.
All berries– strawberries, blackberries, goji berries , elderberries and blue berries should also be included regularly in your diabetic meal plan, as they are very very rich in antioxidants and low in glycemic index and glycemic load values so they won’t cause a spike in your blood sugar. Strawberries glycemic load value is only 4.
Diabetics should avoid fruits? Definitely not but they should keep in mind that fruits should be eaten whole and they should not drink fruit juices. Fruits and fruit juices are simply not the same. A glass of orange juice contains the sugar of four or five oranges, and without the fiber! They are much much better off eating an orange than drinking a glass of orange juice. Anyone can become a victim of diabetes, young or old, male or female, black or white or Asian. We can all become diabetes patients if we don’t pay attention to what we eat and the way we live.
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