Aunt Liu and her wife went to the morning market together, and the grapes on one of the stalls looked very fresh, and my wife was about to reach out and pick one to taste, but was immediately stopped by Aunt Liu! Tell him that he has diabetes and can't eat grapes, and that grapes are full of glucose.
The stall owner who heard this was not happy, she said that she also suffered from diabetes, and she had been eating grapes for several years, and her blood sugar was also very stable and had no abnormalities. Aunt Liu didn't believe the stall owner's words at all, thinking that she was trying to sell goods and make up nonsense, so she quickly pulled her wife away.
Can diabetics eat grapes? Are all sugars in grapes glucose?
1. Do grapes raise blood sugar or lower blood sugar, can sugar friends eat them?
After the end of August, the grapes began to be marketed on a large scale, and there were many varieties such as Summer Black, Kyoho and Sunshine Rose. For people with normal blood sugar, it is natural to eat. However, for patients with diabetes, they always think twice before eating grapes, fearing that eating grapes will cause blood sugar to rise.
Whether diabetic patients can eat certain foods mainly depends on two key indicators: glycemic index and glycemic load index.
The glycemic index (GI) refers to the effect of food ingestion on the body's blood sugar, which is generally measured by human experiments. According to the GI value, the food can be divided into high GI (>70), medium GI (55< GI≤70), and low GI (≤55). Grapes have an average GI value of 43, which is a low-glycemic food, and the release of sugar is slow after consumption.
Glycemic load (GL) is the amount of carbohydrate intake, GL>20 is a high GL food, 10~20 is a medium GL food, <10 is a low GL food, and the GL value of grapes is 4.2%, which is a low glycemic load food.
From this point of view, diabetics can eat grapes, but they should pay attention to the following 4 details when eating:
1. Eat only when your blood sugar is stable
If the fasting blood sugar < 7.0 mmol/L, the postprandial blood sugar < 10 mmol/L, and the glycosylated hemoglobin < 7.5%, you can eat grapes in moderation.
2. Choose grape varieties with low sugar content
Among all grape varieties, rose grapes, mare's milk grapes, and purple grapes have lower sugar content, and these categories of grapes are also lower in calories.
3. Don't eat too much at one time, don't exceed 15 pills
15 grapes are about 200g, which can provide 90 kilocalories for the body, which is equivalent to half a tael of staple food. Diabetic patients should control the amount of other carbohydrates and total calories within this range at a time.
4. Choose the right time to eat
The most suitable time to eat fruit is 10 a.m., 3 p.m. or before going to bed, mainly depending on personal preference. You can use fruit as an add-on, but don't use it as a dessert after cooking.
2. Recommended by the National Health Commission: These fruits can be eaten by diabetics
Fruits are not contraindicated for diabetics and can be eaten with proper choice and consumption. The National Health Commission has recommended some fruits suitable for diabetics that can not only provide the nutrients that the body needs, but also do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar.
National Health Commission Dietary Guidelines for Diabetes (2023 Edition)
1. Apples
The GI value of apples is 36, and the GL value of 100g is 4.9, which is rich in dietary fiber and pectin, which is not easy to be digested by the body after entering the body, and has little effect on blood sugar after eating.
2. Pears
The GI value of pears is 36, the GL value of 100g is 4.7, and a pear can provide about 6g of dietary fiber, mainly insoluble dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and have great benefits for promoting bowel movements.
3. Peaches
Peaches have a GI value of 28 and a GL value of 2.8 for 100g, so even if you consume 300g at one time, it will not have too much effect on blood sugar.
4. Citrus
The GI value of citrus is 43 and the GL value of 100g is 4.4, and a one-time intake of about 200g will not have a great impact on blood sugar.
5. Prunes
The GI value of plums is 24, and the GL value of 100g is 2.74, and it is rich in dietary fiber, potassium and other elements, which will not have a greater impact on blood sugar after eating, and dietary fiber also helps to regulate blood sugar and prevent sudden rise in blood sugar.
6. Kiwi
The GI value of kiwifruit is 50~52, which belongs to the medium GI food. However, the moisture content in kiwifruit is very high, the GL value is relatively low, and the rate of glycemic rise after consumption is not very fast. Vitamin C and superoxide dismutase in kiwifruit have a strong antioxidant effect, which can reduce the damage of free radicals to cells, protect pancreatic cells and help stabilize blood sugar.
3. Diabetics eat fruits and do these 4 points
In the "Dietary Guidelines for Adults with Diabetes" issued by the mainland Health Commission, fruits are listed as one of the five categories of foods that diabetics must eat, and it is recommended to eat them in moderation like vegetables. Diabetics should eat fruits, but they should also pay attention to eating selectively, and these points must be done well.
1. Don't eat if your blood sugar is unstable
Diabetic patients can only eat fruit when their blood sugar is stable and there is no significant hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia. If the blood sugar control has been poor recently, it is not recommended.
2. Do not eat before or after meals
It is not recommended to eat fruit before or after meals, and it is recommended to eat fruit in the middle of two meals, as an additional meal.
3. Don't eat more than 200 grams a day
Diabetic patients should keep the daily intake of fruits at about 200g, and reduce the intake of staple foods such as steamed bread and rice while ensuring that the total calories remain unchanged.
4. Do not drink fruit juice
After fruit juicing, the sugar in the fruit will be more easily absorbed by the body, and the blood sugar will reach a peak in a short period of time, affecting the control of the disease.
Diabetic patients are not completely unable to eat fruits, and under the premise that the disease is under stable control, moderate consumption of fruits is beneficial to health.
Resources:
[1] Can Diabetics Eat Grapes? How to eat without glycemic heights? 》. Department of Endocrinology, Gaomi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, November 7, 2020
[2] "These 10 common fruits are delicious and slow to raise blood sugar, and can be eaten by diabetics and people who are losing weight!" 》. Popular Science China December 06, 2022
[3] "The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching the fragrance of fruits, which low-sugar fruits are suitable for "sugar friends"? Let's see the expert answers. The Sixth People's Hospital of Nanhai District, Foshan City, 2024-09-14
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