Fresh fruit is an important part of any healthy and well-balanced diet, including one to control your diabetes. Oranges offer a sweet and juicy treat full of vitamins and minerals that can be eaten as a snack or dessert. Though they contain sugars, oranges have several other components that offer control of blood glucose.
Carbohydrates, Sugars and Oranges
Oranges contain naturally occurring fructose and glucose, both simple sugars, as their carbohydrates, nutrients that are always of concern when you are diabetic. Your meal plans are usually centered around the number of carbohydrates you can eat. An orange is a healthy source of carbohydrates, though. Not only do oranges contain natural sugars, rather than refined and processed ones, they also contain a low amount. For example, a small orange contains just about 15 g of carbohydrates.
Fiber
Citrus fruits, including the orange, are filled with soluble fiber. In fact, one small orange contains about 6 g of fiber. Soluble fiber is an important part of the diabetic diet. When you take in soluble fiber, it absorbs water, turning into a substance like jelly. As it moves through your digestive system, it slows your body's absorption of the sugar you consumed with it. This results in better control over your blood sugar levels, a more sustained rise over a longer period of time.
Vitamin C
One small orange contains 63.5 mg of vitamin C. Though this does not make a difference for blood glucose control, it can be influential on your health. Diabetes increases your risk for heart disease, but vitamin C can help. This vitamin is known as an antioxidant, fighting the negative effects that oxidized cells and free radicals can cause to your body, preventing serious damage that can lead to heart disease.
Other Health Benefits for Diabetics
Oranges are a healthy snack or dessert. They are easily portable, offering a fail-safe on-the-go snack for any diabetic. They are low in calories, containing just 65 in a small orange, and include no fat or cholesterol. Oranges also contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, folate, choline, lutein, beta-carotene and vitamin E. These small, delicious fruits offer you a punch full of vitamins and minerals.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Fruits
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010"; United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services; 2010
- American Diabetes Association: Ask the Registered Dietitian
- USDa.gov: Oranges, Raw, Small
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber; November 19, 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon, PhD; January 2006
