People shouldn’t have to cut fruits out of their diets in general; in fact, fruits may aid to prevent diabetes. Fruit is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre; however, those with diabetes should avoid certain fruits since they may cause their blood sugar to increase.
There are particular fruits that diabetic patients should avoid including in their diet. Some fruits contain high sugar or carbohydrates that are bad for a diabetic patient’s health. People with diabetes should keep a watchful eye on their sugar intake and as much as possible keep their blood sugar on a healthy level.
As a diabetic patient, you don’t particularly need to avoid fruits but you need to make better choices on what fruit you eat and how much you would intake this particular fruit.
Worst fruits for people with diabetes
People shouldn’t have to cut fruits out of their diets in general; in fact, fruits may aid to prevent diabetes. Fruit is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre; however, those with diabetes should avoid certain fruits since they may cause their blood sugar to increase.
If a food has a Glycemic Index of 70 to 100, this means that it is high in sugar content. Keep in mind that serving size is also important for all fruits, especially fruits that are high on the Glycemic Index. Fruits that have natural sugars and may cause your blood sugar to spike up are the following:
- mango
- Overly ripe banana
- papaya
- pineapple
- watermelon
Fruit juice should also be avoided or consumed in moderation. Drinking fruit juice during a meal or on its own can swiftly elevate a person’s blood sugar level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you wish to eat fruits that contain simple sugars, combine them with fiber. When a person eats entire fruits, sugar absorption in the body is slowed.
You may also consume dried fruit and incorporate it into your diet as long as it is a dried fruit that has not been added sugar. Dried fruit can be an excellent alternative for persons with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), but they should be aware of the amount quantities they add dried fruits to.
If you are going to buy processed fruits, American Diabetes Association (ADA) also suggests that you look into the packaging of the products that you will buy and catch out for certain phrases for example:
- packed in its own juices
- unsweetened
- no added sugar
Freezing fresh fruits like banana slices is one option to replace processed fruit in your diet. Canned fruit should be avoided because they frequently contain syrup. Added sugar in syrup-laden fruits may be too much for the body to manage. Smoothies, however, can take a lot of fruit for a single glass, and smoothies can be high in sugar, especially if they contain bananas. If you want to make a smoothie, add some veggies or a half of a banana for sweetness. Remember to read the labels on the products you buy; this will tell you how much sugar is in them and whether they are healthful.
