By Spy Uganda
Fruit is a nutritious option for people with diabetes. However, some fruit products, such as juices and dried fruit, have high sugar content. This can cause blood sugar to spike.
Eating fruits and vegetables may put a person at a lower risk of developing heart disease and cancer. Fruit is also an important source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
However, fruit can also be high in sugar. People with diabetes must keep a watchful eye on their sugar intake to avoid blood sugar spikes.
That said, there is a difference between the type of sugar in fruit and the type of sugar in other foods, such as chocolate and baked goods.
Fruits To Avoid
In general, a person should not have to exclude fruit from their diet. In fact, one 2017 study suggests that eating fruit can actually help prevent diabetes.
However, it may be worth for people who already have diabetes to limit their intake of the following fruits.
Fruits high in sugar
The glycemic index (GI) shows how much a certain food can raise a person’s blood sugar after they have eaten it.
If a food has a GI score of between 70 and 100, it is high in sugar. Some fruits with a score in this range include watermelons and overly ripe-bananas.
These fruits are still safe for a person with diabetes to eat. However, they should do so in moderation. Consuming larger portions of fruits that have lower GI scores may be more suitable for a person with diabetes.
However, the sugars in fresh fruit are not “free” sugars. Free sugars are added sugars and those present in honey, syrups, nectars, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices.
Foods such as chocolate, baked goods, and some sodas have high levels of free sugars, which do cause spikes in blood sugar.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that drinking fruit juice during a meal or on its own quickly raises a person’s blood sugar levels.
However, the combination of fiber and simple sugars in fruit slows the absorption of sugar into the blood when a person eats whole fruits.
A 2013 research paper looked at how fruit consumption affects the likelihood that a person will develop type 2 diabetes. The results showed that people who consumed more whole fruit were less likely to develop the condition. People who drank larger amounts of fruit juice were more likely to develop the condition.
A 2017 study had similar results. The researchers found that fresh fruit consumption reduced a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also found that people with diabetes who ate fresh fruit regularly had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular conditions or dying.
