5 Tips For Eating Banana In Diabetes
Bananas and diabetes may seem incompatible to each other from a general perspective and indeed who can deny, that they are not the best combo to follow whatsoever. But, this simply doesn't imply that they are completely incompatible as well!!
Bananas and Diabetes
Bananas are packed with fiber, potassium, vitamin C alongside some antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds that are extremely healthy for our body.
With the right amount of intake and with following proper precautions and tips, bananas can be eaten by diabetics and it won't cause much bad impact to your blood sugar levels or health. We'll get onto some of the tips very shortly, but before that let's very quickly find out some important things you need to know about bananas as a diabetic.
Banana Glycemic Index
Bananas have a glycemic index (GI) score of 58.
To understand this score properly, let's very briefly look at what glycemic index is.
Glycemic Index or GI is scale with range from 0 to 100. This scale judges foods on their ability to increase blood sugar levels. The foods that cause rapid spike in blood sugar levels are given a high score and the ones which cause slower increase is given a low score. Now, the values of score are as follows:
Low: Score of 55 or below
Moderate: Score of 56 to 69
High: Score of 70 and above
With that explanation in mind, it can ve very clearly understood that bananas having a GI score of 58 fall in the moderate category of foods, therefore they are competent of increasing blood sugar levels, if not eaten with precautions.
How much sugar in a banana?
An average medium sized banana can include upto 14 grams of sugar.
Therefore, is extremely important to keep all precautions in mind for eating banana in diabetes, as this mouth watery fruit is capable of causing big change in the blood sugar levels. With right tips in mind, bananas can be eaten by diabetics.
It's best to consult a qualified professional doctor before consumption and they will provide you the best suggestions as per your current health, and the exact quantity of banana you can consume safely as a diabetic.
How many bananas can a diabetic eat in a day?
Inner health as a diabetic may differ from person to person, therefore one quantity of eating banana that applies to each diabetic cannot be fixed.
The person already having very high blood sugar levels might be advised to completely avoid banana until the blood sugar stables, whereas for a diabetic who already has controlled blood sugar levels might consume some quantity of banana without worrying much.
Therefore, the correct quantity of eating banana in diabetes as per your body type and current health can be achieved by only after consulting with a qualified doctor.
But, from a normal or general consumption perspective, A small banana twice or thrice a week can perhaps be considered safe for diabetics.
With that being said, It's equally important to note that the affect of bananas in increasing blood sugar levels also depends upon the form of banana i.e., is it a green, raw or a fresh regular banana.
Green or ripe banana have much lesser sugar content in comparison to a normal or fresh banana that we often find in markets.
5 Tips For Eating Banana In Diabetes
With all of that being said, let's get onto the 5 tips you can you can follow for minimizing the effect of eating banana in diabetes.
Pick the right banana
As mentioned above, Not every banana has exactly same sugar content in it. Therefore, you might opt for green or unripe bananas as they contain less sugar and more resistant starch. This might be extremely beneficial in avoiding too much spike in the blood sugar levels post eating.
Eat small pieces in one sitting
Considering the GI and sugar quantity that bananas have, it's best to avoid eating large chunks of banana in one sitting, if you're a diabetic. You might consider eating few small pieces of banana, so that less amount of sugar reaches inside your body at once and the blood sugar levels does not change much.
Excercise after eating
Excercising helps in burning more and more sugar present inside the body, which is why it's always advised to diabetics to follow certain excercise routine everyday. The bad effects of eating banana in diabetes might be reduced to great extent if we exercise after eating. This will help the body in effectively managing the spike caused in blood sugar levels due to the banana and the health will remain un-impacted.
Spread your intake throughout the day
Eating whole banana at once will cause all sugar to enter your body at once. And, this might cause an issue as a diabetic, because the body might fail to properly manage all sugar effectively.
So, one strategy that can be opted is eating small chunks at different intervals throughout the day. This will cause less sugar to enter the body at once, and it might be much easier for the body to effectively manage that small quantity, without getting affected.
Avoid eating alongside other high or moderate GI food items
Food items with high glycemic index are capable of escalating blood sugar more drastically. As bananas themselves fall into the category of Moderate GI food item, therefore in diabetes, it's best avoid eating banana alongside any other food that has high or moderate GI.
As a diabetic, You might opt for eating banana alongside nuts or yogurt, which might help the body in proper digestion and might also let you feel much satiated, without even consuming much quantity of banana.
Conclusion
Bananas are very healthy as they contain multiple nutrients including fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. They have a glycemic index (GI) score of 58, therefore they fall into the category of Moderate GI foods.
Diabetics can eat banana as long as they consume it at moderate level and after proper consultation with a qualified professional doctor.
Some tips mentioned above might help in minimizing the effect of eating banana.
If you want to learn more about eating banana in diabetes, check out the article on how healthy are bananas for diabetics.
(Please read the disclaimer page carefully before you start to use this blog/ website in any way. All content provided on this blog/ website is for information purposes only and shall not be understood or construed as a substitute of any qualified or professional medical/ health/ fitness/ nutritional/ beauty advice, diagnosis, or treatment in any way.)
