Fruit Juice: Is It Good Or Bad For Diabetics?
One of the most common doubts faced by diabetics is how to get their daily dose of vitamins, minerals and calcium various fruits have to offer? Should the food for diabetics be in the form of whole fruit or juice?
Diabetologists strongly recommends that a diet for a diabetic patient should consist of consuming whole fruits rather than in the form of juices. Fruit juices are loaded with a large amount of sugar which raises blood sugar levels after eating very rapidly.
A glass of sugarless orange juice contains around 100 calories, as compared to 60 calories in a whole orange. Fructose, the fruit sugar is more in 125ml of fruit juices much more than the recommended daily allowance of sugar.
Citrus fruits contain Vitamin C and calcium, but when made into juices, the content of fibre decreases considerably.
How Does Fruit Juice Affect Blood Sugar?
The sugar-loaded fruit juices can cause a remarkable spike in blood glucose levels and can increase the risk of hyperglycemia.
Glycemic index (GI) is the ranking of carbohydrates in the food according to how they affect the blood glucose levels. Generally, a low GI of less than 55 is the most preferred choice of food for diabetics.
The main sugar present in fruit juice is called fructose. Fructose is processed in the liver and research suggests that a diet high in fructose burdens the liver, leading to problems such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes.
Therefore, overconsumption of fruit juices or taking fruit juice in addition to a high sugar diet may increase the risk of health issues.
For instance, orange juice scores between 66-76 and falls under a high GI drink. High GI foods and drinks should be avoided by the diabetics to keep their sugar levels under control.
Fruit juices can be beneficial in treating a person who is hypoglycemic to rapidly raise their blood sugar levels.
Whole Fruit Is A Better Option Than Fruit Juice
It is always better to take whole fruit than fruit juice, as the soluble fibre in fruit aids in improving digestion and slows the rate of the rise in blood sugar, hence preventing risks of high blood sugar symptoms.
The key point is that the whole fruit is the preferred choice for diabetics, and to be taken in moderate amounts.
Diabetics can eat a guava, papaya, citrus fruits like orange, sweet lime and black plums.
