Fruits are truly nature’s candy. They not only have the ability to satisfy your need for sweets, but they can answer hunger pangs while having loads of nutrition and other vital minerals. The problem though with a number of fruits is that they also have tons of sugar. Because of this, the question remains about which ones are actually suitable for diabetics or people that have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Diabetes is explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as ‘a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.’ When you have diabetes, your body either lacks the ability to make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin as well as it should.
So the question is whether people with diabetes can eat fruit, or is it considered dangerous for them? Here, we will share which fruits are okay for diabetics to eat and those that should be avoided, while at the same time, looking at the link between fruit and blood sugar.
List of Fruits Suitable for Diabetes
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the following list of fruits are divided by GI (Glycemic Index) and GL (Glycemic Load).
Low GI and GL Fruits
Fruits that have GI under 55 and a GL under 10 are considered Low GI fruits. These include avocados, apples, berries, bananas, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi fruits, nectarines, oranges, pears, plums, peaches, and strawberries.
Medium GI Fruits
Fruits that have a GI between 56 to 69 is considered a medium-GI food. All the fruits listed below also have a GL level that’s under 10. These fruits include honeydew melon, figs, pineapples and papayas.
High GI Fruits
Fruits that have a GI that’s higher than 70 and a GL that’s greater than 20 are considered high GL fruit. While these types of fruits are still safe to eat despite having diabetes, it is very important to watch how much high GI fruit you eat. It’s better to eat bigger quantities of lower-GI fruit when possible. High GI fruit includes dates (high GL) and watermelon (low GL).
Relationship Between Fruit and Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), they explain that any fruit is okay for diabetics to consume, as long as that person is not necessarily allergic to that particular fruit of choice.
The British Medical Journal published a meta-analysis back in 2014 that shared how higher fruit intake was substantially linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, which is when the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin.
But, there are different ways to prepare fruit that could also affect one’s blood sugar. Eating fresh or frozen fruit is considered way better than eating processed fruit, which normally comes from a jar or a can. One example of this is applesauce or canned pears and the like. Other forms of processed fruit includes fruit juices and dried fruit.
The advice for those with diabetes is that they should completely avoid consuming any processed food, or at least eat them sparingly when possible. Because the body tends to absorb processed fruit quicker, it can lead to heightened blood sugar levels. Moreover, fruits that are processed usually lessen any levels of vital nutrients or vitamins, including the more important nutrient that most fruit offers, fiber.
Moreover, the National Institute of Diabetic and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggests that people diagnosed with diabetes completely avoid canned fruits and fruit juices that have any added sugars.
Notably, other fruit blends such as smoothies and shakes tend to have a much higher sugar content than fresh fruit. These also get absorbed into the body so much quicker as well, which causes a much higher spike in one’s blood sugar.
Glycemic Index, What Is It?
When someone has diabetes, in order for them to choose what fruit, as well as other high-carbohydrate food, is safe for them to eat is by double checking the food’s glycemic index (GI).
Glycemic index, which is popularly known as GI, is a foods rating of how fast that food item will be able to raise a person’s blood sugar levels. This rating can go from 1 to 100. When food is considered high GI, it means that it’s a type of food that gets absorbed quicker than other foods that are either medium or low GI.
Glycemic load, also referred to as GL, rates food not only by the amount of GI, but also by the number of carbohydrates in a serving of that food. When considering the GL, it can give a more accurate way of seeing how certain food can affect one’s blood sugar management over a span of time. When someone wants to control their blood sugar levels, eating low-GI and low-GL food is always a better choice.
Lots of people tend to be surprised to find out that there are actually a lot of fruits considered low-GI. But there are also other fruits and starchy vegetables, such as grains and potatoes, that are digested quicker, which gives them a higher GI rating.
For example, the longer a carbohydrate-rich food is cooked also gives it a higher GI value. Such things as fiber content, fat and cooling the carbohydrates after they’ve already ‘been transformed into resistant starches via cooking can all dramatically lower GI values.’
What Are the Benefits for Diabetes?
When one has diabetes, it’s important to eat enough fiber. In fact, it plays a very important role in managing one’s diabetes. Diets that are high in soluble fiber also helps slow down the absorption of sugar, therefore controlling the blood sugar levels as well. There are a number of fruits that are high in fiber, mostly those that are eaten with the skin or pulp. There are also a lot of fruits that can be quite filling due to their high fiber and water content as well.
Plus, diets that consist of a lot of fruit and vegetables are also linked to reduced risks of heart attacks, obesity, and strokes. Moreover, obesity is also linked to type 2 diabetes.
Considering that fruit is rich in nutrients and fiber, which means that including them in your diet is a very good choice. But when they are processed fruits, such as juices, applesauce and the like, most of the fiber has been removed, making them less nutritious and should be avoided or at least lessened.
Other Kinds of Health Benefits of Fruit
According to the NIDDK, fruit is actually healthy for people with diabetes to eat. Of course, those diagnosed with diabetes are advised to have a balanced diet that manages to give them enough energy while helping them maintain a healthy weight. This also means that they should minimize eating fruits with high sugar content, like mangoes, but they can still be a part of their diets as long as they are eaten in moderation.
Another way fruit can benefit someone with diabetes is that it can satisfy one’s need for “sweets” without eating actual candy or other forms of food that is considered low in nutritional value. A number of fruit is high in nutrition and low in sodium and fat, while having tons of good nutrients that can’t be found in other types of food.
One example are bananas, which contain high levels of potassium, as well as the important amino acid tryptophan. In addition, certain citrus fruit such as grapefruits and oranges are quite high in vitamins C and A, which are considered strong antioxidants.
How Much Fruit Should You Include in Your Diet?
A number of dietary guidelines recommend eating fiver servings of fruits and vegetables a day for both children and adults, which actually goes the same for people diagnosed with diabetes.
Guidelines within the United States also suggest that people fill at least half of their plates with fruits and vegetables at every single meal.
As for those with diabetes, they should also choose non-starchy vegetables for at least 50 percent of their meal rather than just depending on fruit to give them their needed daily nutritional values. They also recommend that the other half of the meal should have protein and other high-fiber starches such as whole grains and beans. A number of experts also suggest adding foods that are considered healthy fats in every meal. That way, they can feel fuller longer, as well as boosting the body’s vitamin and antioxidant absorption.
For reference, a medium sized fruit is normally considered one serving, or the size of a baseball. Smaller fruits like berries usually have a serving size of one-cup. Meanwhile, the serving size for processed fruit products like fruit juice or applesauce is a half-cup. As for dried fruits like raisins or prunes, the serving size is around 2 tablespoons.
Just like vegetables, people are encouraged to eat a variety of fruits in order to get all the different nutrients and vitamins they offer.
Here Are Some Dietary Tips When It Comes to Eating Fruit
In order for people to get the daily recommended amount of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, they need to include them in their every day diets. The following are some ideas to make it easier to get the nutrients and vitamins you need.
Berries
The great thing about berries is that they are so good when eaten raw. But they can also be cooked or made into compotes, which can be added easily to meals.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits can be consumed in many ways. Some choose to make tea or citrus water by cutting up some fruit and putting them in water to sit overnight. Others add lemons or limes to their seafood meals.
Avocados
While avocados are high in fat, it’s actually good fat known as monounsaturated fat, which actually benefits the body. Plus, it’s an incredibly versatile fruit that can be eaten raw in cubes, sliced, or made into guacamole or salsa. They can also be made into smoothies or spreads, made either sweet or savory too.
Apples
Apples are probably the most popular fruit on the planet. While they can be eaten either raw, or cooked, they add tons of flavor to any meal whether as a snack or a dessert. They can be sliced, eaten whole, grilled with honey or rolled in some crushed walnuts and peanut butter. Regardless of how you eat them, they can add a hefty nutritional punch to anyone’s diet.
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