Often when people are diagnosed with diabetes, they think that their days of enjoying their favorite foods are over. Foods like fresh fruits are often mistaken for foods that increase blood sugar, when it fact, they could be one of the most important parts of their diet. Learning how to recognize fruits that stabilize and maintain optimal blood sugar levels is easy once you understand a few guiding principles.
Misnomers Concerning Diabetes and Fruit
Mention the word fruit and what immediately comes to mind is high sugar and lots of calories. In reality, there are a number of fresh fruits you can enjoy that won't cause blood glucose levels to spike. Important things to consider when looking for fruits to enjoy are fructose content, fiber and their glycemic index. Fructose is a type of sugar in fruit. Fruits high in fructose do not depend on insulin for their metabolism, so they can be enjoyed by Type 2 diabetics. Good choices include apples, mangoes, guavas and pears.
Fiber in Fruit
Foods containing fiber help to stabilize blood glucose because they slow down the absorption of sugar--including fruit. Fruits with the most fiber are those with edible skins and seeds. Good choices include apples, pomegranates, kiwi fruit, apricots, pears and blueberries.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index of foods is an important concept to learn if you're diabetic. Understanding the GI of foods can make the difference between existing on a spartan diet versus continuing to eat many of the foods you enjoy. Carbohydrates are rated on the glycemic index according to how rapidly they cause blood sugar levels to spike. The lower the number, the better. Low GI foods are rated from 0 to 54. Medium GI foods are rated from 55 to 69. High GI foods are rated higher than 70. Good low GI fruit choices (and their accompanying GI) for diabetics include prunes (15), plums (39), cherries (22) and apples (38).
