People living with diabetes must carefully develop their meal plans, consuming foods that will not raise their blood glucose levels too quickly or too high. Kielbasa and cabbage generally is considered a diabetes-friendly dish because of its glycemic index -- the degree by which it raises blood glucose -- and its vitamins and minerals.
Glycemic Index
Eating kielbasa and cabbage will not boost your blood glucose levels, exacerbating diabetes symptoms. Cabbage has a glycemic index of 10, while kielbasa's is less than 35, also considered low. The glycemic index measures food by how fast or slow it influences blood glucose. While high glycemic index foods might be necessary in certain situations, low glycemic index foods are good for preventing overnight drops in blood glucose, which makes kielbasa and cabbage a good option for dinner if you have diabetes.
Fat Content
If you include kielbasa and cabbage in your diabetic diet, pay attention to the fat in the remainder of your meal plan. The American Diabetes Association recommends that you keep saturated fat intake quite low to reduce your risk of heart disease, since this condition is a risk factor of diabetes. A serving of kielbasa and cabbage -- 3.5 oz. of kielbasa and 3.5 oz. of boiled cabbage -- introduces 6.2 g of saturated fat into your diet. Consume fewer than 22 g of saturated fat per day if you follow a 2,000-calorie diet; this quantity equates to 10 percent or less of your total caloric intake.
Vitamin C
Kielbasa and cabbage is a rich source of vitamin C, with each serving providing 52.3 mg; you need 75 to 90 mg of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C intake is especially important when you are diabetic. A study published in the August 2009 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" indicates that consuming vitamin C, along with insulin, protects against blood vessel damage that commonly occurs when you have type-1 diabetes.
Vitamin K
Eating kielbasa and cabbage might offer particular benefits to older men with diabetes thanks to the vitamin K content. One serving of kielbasa and cabbage contains 108.7 mcg of this vitamin, and adult men require 120 mcg of vitamin K each day, primarily for blood clotting. Research featured in the August 2008 journal "Diabetes Care" notes that getting adequate amounts of vitamin K each day over a 36-month period might inhibit insulin resistance in men over the age of 60.
References
- The GI Diet Center: High, Medium and Low GI Foods
- Formula Zone: Kielbasa
- Diabetesnet.com; Glycemic Index; December 2010
- "American Diabetes Association": Fat and Diabetes
- HealthAliciousNess: Nutrition Facts Comparison Tool
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
