An apple a day may keep diabetes away. They have numerous health benefits that could lower your risk of developing diabetes and help control your blood sugar. The sugar content of apples isn't much of a problem if you have diabetes, says the American Diabetes Association. The nutrition of apples make them a wise choice to get the nutrients you need as well as to satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way.
Nutrition of Apples
A medium-sized apple contains just about 95 calories, according the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. It's also loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. For example, apples are a great source of potassium. An article in the Oct. 25, 2010, "Archives of Internal Medicine" reported that potassium levels are an independent risk factor for diabetes. People with lowest levels developed diabetes at significantly higher rates in the study. In addition, apples contain good amounts of magnesium, vitamins A, C, and K, folate and several other B vitamins, calcium and phosphorus. Apples are naturally free of sodium, fat and cholesterol.
Carbohydrates and Sugar
Apples are sweet, and one medium apple contains 25 g of carbohydrate, 18.91 g of sugar and 4.4 g of fiber. Although the sugar content might be disconcerting, there's a big difference between a naturally occurring sugar and one that is added to foods. The natural sugar in apples won't intensely spike your blood sugar. The glycemic index score for various sized apples range from 34 to 40. The glycemic index is a database maintained by the University of Sydney that catalogs foods based on how your glucose will respond. The index scores food in a range from 0 to 100. Foods scoring 55 or less are considered low glycemic. Apples are still a carbohydrate source, however, so you need to adhere to the carbohydrate servings your dietitian has advised you to consume at each meal.
Fiber
Apples contain a healthy dose of fiber, another property that's beneficial to diabetics. Fiber is the part of food that does not digest. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, fiber has improved blood glucose and insulin response in numerous clinical trials. The fiber found in apples may also help to lower your cholesterol level, thus reducing the chance of heart-related complications of diabetes. Even better, fiber helps you feel full and satisfied, so apples may help you control your appetite and lose weight.
Flavonoids and Other Health Benefits
In an October 2005 study appearing in the "Journal of Nutrition," women who ate more than one apple daily had a 28 percent risk reduction for type 2 diabetes compared with those who consumed no apples. The authors had speculated that apples' flavonoid content -- a source of antioxidants -- may prevent impairment of beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells control insulin release. Other sources of flavonoids didn't perform as well as apples, so the hypothesis wasn't founded, but the work of the apples was statistically significant. A researcher for the Linus Pauling Institute said the antioxidant protection offered by apples to type 2 diabetes may come from fructose, a sugar in the apples, rather than the flavonoids.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Fruits
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Serum and Dietary Potassium and Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study; Ranee Chatterjee et al.; October 25, 2010
- University of Sydney: The Glycemic Index
- Linus Pauling Institute; Fiber; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Associations of Dietary Flavonoids with Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, and Markers of Insulin Resistance and Systemic Inflammation in Women: A Prospective Study and Cross-Sectional Analysis; Yiqing Song et al.; October 2005
- Linus Pauling Institute; Why Apples are Healthful; Silvina Lotito; November 2004
