Managing your blood sugar can be tricky. You have to tame your sugar cravings and eat healthier foods. You've probably been told several times to exchange processed sweets for healthier sweet alternatives, like fruits. However, not all fruits are good for you. This article will discuss four fruits you should eat minimally or outrightly avoid.
4 Worst Fruits for a Diabetic Patient
While fruits are generally considered healthy, some can cause a spike in your glucose level due to their high sugar content. Here are four of those fruits:
Bananas
Bananas have a high glycemic index (GI), which can spike your blood sugar levels in a little time. Apart from the high glycemic index, bananas are also starchy fruit, and the starch in unripe ones turns into sugar as it ripens, which makes it even more problematic for you.
You can instead opt for berries, like strawberries and blueberries, with low GI and low sugar content. They're excellent for blood control and also provide essential vitamins and antioxidants.
Pineapple
Pineapple has a sweet, appealing taste that goes well with everything, even pizza. But they're not good for your blood sugar. They have a medium glycemic index of around 59. One or two slices won't make a difference, but you could be at risk if you consume it in large quantities.
You should also avoid making it into juice. Juice lacks fiber and absorbs quickly into the bloodstream which would speed up that spike. While you can still eat pineapple, eat it in moderation, and pair it with protein or healthy fats. Always go for fresh pineapple rather than canned varieties with added sugars.
Mangoes
Mangoes are high in sugar. There are about 22.5 grams of sugar in a cup of mango(about 165 grams). They're also high in calories, with 90% of their calorie content coming from sugar. Despite this, they have a low glycemic index, so while you can still eat it, it's crucial to eat it in moderation.
The fiber and antioxidants in mangoes can help reduce their sugar impact, which means you can add mango to your diet to make it balanced. If you'd rather avoid it, consider going for peaches instead. They are lower in sugar, high in fiber, and have a sweet taste.
Grapes
Grapes are packed full of sugar. There's about 23 grams of sugar in a cup of grapes, and 16 grams in 100 grams of grapes, which is about 10 ten red grapes. It's easier to overeat grapes because of their small size, but diabetic patients must avoid them.
Cherries are better alternatives to grapes. They are sweet with less impact on blood sugar levels, which makes them a great low-sugar fruit for diabetics.
Final Insights
You don't have to cut these fruits out of your diet. Instead, eat them in moderation, and pair them with healthy foods. You can also choose to play it safe and scrape them for diabetic fruits and vegetables.