You might have heard people saying that you can’t eat fruit if you have diabetes, or follow a no fruit diet if you want to control your blood sugar levels.
Well, these statements does not affect you much if you're a non-diabetic, but think of someone who is a diabetic or suffering from diabetes type 2 in particular.
That is when you might get worried and these open end statements can invoke your mind to questions like - should i eat sweet fruits, can i eat fruits if i have diabetes, do i have to completely avoid fruits if i want to control my blood sugar levels and many many more...
It's not the case that these statements stand completely irrelevant or are completely untrue. Some fruits does affect your blood sugar levels and can in fact spike it to dangerous levels, affecting your mind, body and overall health but, there's more explanation to it!!.
Spike in blood sugar levels associated with eating fruits depend upon multiple factors that needs to be considered as well, like - which fruit you're consuming, what quantity are you eating, in what form are you eating and much more..
So, in this article let's take a look at some best fruits for diabetics and which fruits to avoid in diabetes. But before that, let's quickly know about how do we decide which fruits are good and which are bad for diabetics.
What is the criteria to know which are Diabetes friendly fruits and which are not. In fact, this criteria not only applies to fruits but to almost every food item that we eat. But what is it??
Well, all this is majorly decided by one factor - The Glycemic Index
What is Glycemic Index?
In simple terms, The Glycemic Index (GI) refers to the ability of a carbohydrate food to increase glucose levels in the blood.
This ability is given a rank from 1 to 100.
- If the rank or GI of the food is lower than or equal to 55, the food item is considered as a low gylcemic index food.
- If the GI falls between 55 to 69, it is considered as medium.
- And if the GI of the food is higher than or equal to 70, the food item is considered as a high gylcemic index food.
Hence, if we want to find fruits good in diabetes or fruits to avoid in diabetes, we need to first know their glycemix index.
If it falls in the low category, it's fine to consume them, if medium you need to be more conscious in consumption but, if it in high category, then it's best to limit them to a higher extent. With that little amount of explanation, let's straight away jump onto the top 5 best and worst fruits for diabetics and let's find out how can they be consumed.
Best Fruits For People With Diabetes
1. Cherries
GI score: 20
Cherries stand as one of the best Diabetes fruit and is packed with antioxidants to boost your immune system. Try to eat them fresh They are a fine substitute as long as they aren’t packed in sugar.
2. Grapefruit
GI score: 25
Grapefruits are extremely rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, making it one of the healthiest Diabetes friendly fruit. They are packed with Vitamin C, giving about 31 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams of Grapefruit.
3. Apples
GI score: 39
One fresh apple with the peel on provides nearly about 20 percent of your daily fiber needs. Apples are considered among those diabetes fruits that causes minimal effect on blood sugar levels.
4. Oranges
GI score: 40
Oranges are full of fibre and have a moderate glycemic index. The fruit has natural sugar, which works pretty safe for diabetics to consume.
5. Strawberries
GI score: 41
Raw healthy serving of strawberries can give you a boost of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. In fact or you can say a fun fact, One cup of strawberries has more vitamin C than an orange!!
Okay, now as we're done with knowing about the best fruits for diabetics, let's jump straight away to find the top fruits to avoid in diabetes.
Worst Fruits For People With Diabetes
1. Pineapple
GI score: 56
Pineapple falls in moderate to high in glycemic index hence, can be consumed in moderation and as part of a healthy, balanced diet if you have diabetes. They fall in the list of
fruits that raise blood sugar so It's best to have a fresh pineapple or canned pineapple in moderation without any added sugar or sugary syrup.
2. Banana
GI score: 58
Despite being a healthy fruit and a tasty one as well, bananas are pretty high in both carbohydrates and sugar, which are the main components that are responsible for rise in blood sugar levels. So, if you're a diabetic or someone suffering from type 2 diabetes, you can eat banana, but in moderation.
3. Watermelon
GI score: 72
Watermelons as clear from the GI score falls into the list of fruits to avoid in diabetes. So, if you're a diabetic and want to consume it, eat in small amounts or eat it alongside foods that contain plenty of healthful fats, fiber, and protein. You can find more information on eating watermelons in diabetes here:
Is it safe to eat watermelons in diabetes?
So, now we know which fruits we can eat freely and which we have to avoid if we are diabetic. But it's equally important to note, that implementing any routine or diet on just by reading some general information is not a wise decision.
Routine, diet, type of fruit, amount of intake may differ from person to person depending on their body type, current health, age and on many more factors. Therefore, always consult a qualified professional doctor before following any nutritional regime or consuming any fruit or food. Work strictly as per the diet chart provided by your doctor for avoiding any possible health risks.
If you want to know about the signs that our body shows up in high blood sugar levels, check out the article on
5 signs that indicate hypergycemia or signs of too much sugar levels in blood.
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