Are you a diabetic? Then there is no doubt you need to refrain from eating sugary foods. But then, what about pineapples? Can you consume the fruit despite your condition? That is what this post talks about.

Keep reading to know more.

Pineapple And Its Effect On Diabetes:

According to experts, fruits that have high sugar content are not harmful when you are diabetic (1). Although they are sweet, you can eat fruits like pineapple, mango, etc. In fact, it is said that fruits with high sugar content also contain other important nutrients, which is why avoiding them completely may work against your health. Many diabetics, especially those with Type II diabetes, keep away from fruits like pineapples and mangoes in an attempt to improve the levels of blood sugar in their body. But it is important to make them a part of your diet.

Being diabetic does not necessarily mean that you have to eliminate fruits from your diet. In fact, it is important for you to have two servings of fruit every day, or approximately one cup of fresh fruit. All fruits contain carbohydrates, and they all have varying effects on your blood sugar levels.

Like other fruits, pineapple has carbohydrate content in the form of fructose (2), which is a sugar that occurs naturally. High-carb foods raise blood glucose levels, but this does not mean that you have to give up eating pineapples. Carbohydrates are not the only factor that has an impact on your blood sugar levels, but it is important to know where it stands on the glycemic index chart so that you know how much of this nutrient you can consume. Foods with a GI score of 55 or less are not likely to increase blood sugar levels while those with a high GI score of over 70 may cause an increase (3). Raw, fresh pineapple has a GI score of 59 which makes it a medium-glycemic fruit.

Pineapple is rich in carbohydrates, but also contains other nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants. It is also rich in Vitamin C and manganese, but there is no cholesterol, fat or saturated fat in it. According to some experts, while pineapple may not help in lowering blood sugar levels, it will not elevate them either, provided you carefully control the portions you eat. This fruit has a medium GI score, but its glycemic load is a mere 7, which is considered to be low. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will cause a large spike in your levels of blood sugar.

Amount Of Pineapple To Eat:

If you are a diabetic and want to eat pineapples, always make sure that you opt for the raw, fresh fruit over the canned variety. If you need to get the canned variety, choose canned pineapple in the juice form and never the heavy syrup. 1 cup of raw pineapple contains approximately 22 grams (4) of carbohydrates. The canned variety with heavy syrup contains more than 51 grams of carbohydrates in every serving of 1 cup.

You should eat only a ½ cup serving of pineapple with each meal. Experts recommend taking no more than 3 to 5 15-gram servings of carbs per meal. Also, make sure that you combine it with other foods with a low glycemic index or with foods that have low carbohydrate content such as sources of lean protein. This will help in minimizing the effect of your overall meal on the levels of blood sugar in your body.

As you can see, pineapple may be a sweet fruit, but it is not necessarily bad for you even if you are diabetic. As long as you keep a check on the portions you consume, this is a fruit you can enjoy without worrying.

We hope this post has helped you. Do share your thoughts with us by commenting in the box below.

The post Is Pineapple Good For Diabetics? appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE