Is lemon good for diabetics?
Lemons, being one among most popular fruit from the citrus family are consumed in large quantity all around the world. And why they shouldn't be, the distinctive sour taste be in salad or lemonade adds a sense of refreshment to the mood.
As per some stats, a single lemon tree can produce up to 600 pounds of fruit a year and the consumption of citrus fruits in 2018 in the US was around 23.95 pounds per capita.
That's not enough!!. In 2019, the consumption levels of lemon and lime were about 40kg per person in Argentina. Therefore the popularity of lemons stands unquestionable!!
But, today we're not going to talk about lemons in terms of their popularity around the world. Instead, well be looking at how good is lemon for people with diabetes.
Are lemon good for diabetics is one such question that lingers around my mind many times. So, today we'll try to find answers to some of the most common questions associated with lemon and diabetes and we'll try to look at this topic from all possible aspects.
Let's get straight into it!!
Lemon and Diabetes
When we look at the major nutritional components of lemons, it sounds completely rational that lemons are good for diabetics.One lemon is capable of servings many nutrients including:
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
But, in order to properly understand the effects of lemon on diabetics, let's go the fact way. First, let's look at the glycemic index.
Glycemic Index Of Lemons
The glycemic index (GI) is a value given to foods based on their ability to increase blood sugar levels. The foods that increase blood sugar slowly are considered low GI food, and the one which raise blood sugar fast are considered high GI food.There are also some foods that fall in between the two categories, they are considered as food with moderate GI. Now, the values given to each category are as follows:
Low: 55 or below
Moderate: 56 to 69
High: 70 and above
Lemons fall into the low category of GI, which means they do not cause much impact on the blood sugar levels.
Therefore, consumption of lemons will not affect you in a bad way even you're someone with diabetes.
Not just that, if we go as per some theories, lemon juice or lime juice when consumed along with a high GI food, might slow the conversion of starch to sugar, thereby lowering the high GI food’s ability to raise blood sugar levels. Now, that's incredible!!
The consumption may differ from person to person, therefore from a general perspective, you might aim for at least one to two 1/2-cup servings per day for getting the health benefits of lemon in diabetes.
But as I say always, the definition of consumption is very broad, therefore a normal individual with no knowledge on medical cannot define it by himself. So, it's best to consult a qualified doctor and they will let you know the exact quantity and frequency with which you can eat lemon in diabetes.
Not just that, as a small study conducted in 2007 states that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C for six weeks might also help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes complications.
Therefore, including them in your diet as lemon water or lemonade might be a healthy and tasty option for people with diabetes. The same works with lemon tea as well, as the core ingredient of it is lime juice, so it might also give you all lemon benefits as a diabetic.
And even from a normal understanding perspective, squeezing lemon juice in water and drinking it perhaps stands much better than the sodas filled with sugar we often find in markets. The important point to understand here is that make sure you do not add sugar to your lemon water or lemonade when you are making it at home. Otherwise, all benefits mentioned above might not be served and infact it may do more harm than good for a diabetic.
It can also be included in diet as drinking lime juice in water or lemonade which perhaps is a much tastier and quicker way of consumption.
Lemons are surely good for diabetics, as long as you consume them as per the guidance and instructions provided by a qualified professional doctor.
Low: 55 or below
Moderate: 56 to 69
High: 70 and above
Lemons fall into the low category of GI, which means they do not cause much impact on the blood sugar levels.
Therefore, consumption of lemons will not affect you in a bad way even you're someone with diabetes.
Can it help in lowering blood sugar?
In addition to what mentioned above, Lime juice might actually help in lowering blood sugar as they have a low glycemic index and may also help in regulating body's absorbtion of sugar, thereby giving you fewer blood sugar spikes.Not just that, if we go as per some theories, lemon juice or lime juice when consumed along with a high GI food, might slow the conversion of starch to sugar, thereby lowering the high GI food’s ability to raise blood sugar levels. Now, that's incredible!!
How much lemon should you eat?
With all benefits of eating lemon being said, it it to be noted that there's no concrete rule to consume x no. of lemons per day if you're a diabetic.The consumption may differ from person to person, therefore from a general perspective, you might aim for at least one to two 1/2-cup servings per day for getting the health benefits of lemon in diabetes.
But as I say always, the definition of consumption is very broad, therefore a normal individual with no knowledge on medical cannot define it by himself. So, it's best to consult a qualified doctor and they will let you know the exact quantity and frequency with which you can eat lemon in diabetes.
Effects of citrus fruits on blood sugar
It's not just lemon that are good for diabetics, other citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are also considered as diabetes superfoods. These fruits are full of nutrients such as vitamin c, fibre, folate and potassium which makes them perfect for being included in a diabetic eating plan.Not just that, as a small study conducted in 2007 states that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C for six weeks might also help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes complications.
Lemon water and Lemon tea in managing diabetes
As explained above, lemon juice diabetes seems a perfect combo as it does not cause blood sugar spikes and may actually assist in controlling blood sugar levels to some extent.Therefore, including them in your diet as lemon water or lemonade might be a healthy and tasty option for people with diabetes. The same works with lemon tea as well, as the core ingredient of it is lime juice, so it might also give you all lemon benefits as a diabetic.
And even from a normal understanding perspective, squeezing lemon juice in water and drinking it perhaps stands much better than the sodas filled with sugar we often find in markets. The important point to understand here is that make sure you do not add sugar to your lemon water or lemonade when you are making it at home. Otherwise, all benefits mentioned above might not be served and infact it may do more harm than good for a diabetic.
Conclusion
Eating lemon in diabetes can be an extremely good option as they are packed with nutrients such as vitamin c, potassium, folate etc.It can also be included in diet as drinking lime juice in water or lemonade which perhaps is a much tastier and quicker way of consumption.
Lemons are surely good for diabetics, as long as you consume them as per the guidance and instructions provided by a qualified professional doctor.
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