look news india
Hydrating fruits are an important part of people's diet in summer. People like to eat watermelon in this. Watermelon, due to its sweet taste, reduces sugar cravings and being rich in water, it also keeps the body hydrated. Many nutrients are present in watermelon. Which promotes good health. But can diabetics eat this sweet fruit? It is also important to know how watermelon consumption affects blood sugar levels in diabetes.
What do the experts say?
Health experts advise diabetic patients to check the benefits and disadvantages of any food and its glycemic index before consuming it. The glycemic index or GI is a measurement used to determine how much a food can affect your blood sugar levels. The GI scale ranges from 0 to 100, and the lower the glycemic index of a food, the safer it is for diabetics.
Generally any food item with a GI of 70 or more is placed in the high glycemic index category and diabetics are advised not to eat such things. As far as watermelon is concerned, according to a report in Medical News Today, the glycemic index of watermelon is around 72. However, watermelon has high water content and is also high in fiber. In such a situation, experts advise diabetic patients to eat watermelon in limited quantities.
However, many researchers believe that if you suffer from diabetes, it is beneficial to pay more attention to glycemic load as opposed to glycemic index. Glycemic load is the number or value of a food that indicates how a person's glucose levels will rise after eating that amount of food. The lower the glycemic load, the safer it is for diabetics. On one hand, watermelon has a high glycemic index but a very low glycemic load (only 2). Thus, consumption of watermelon in limited quantity can be considered suitable for diabetic patients.
keep in mind that
Diabetic patients can eat watermelon by keeping all the things in mind. But avoid eating this fruit in the morning on an empty stomach or before sleeping at night. You can include watermelon in your diet as a lunch or evening snack. Do not consume watermelon juice. According to experts, drinking juice can increase the amount of sugar. In such a situation, diabetic patients should cut watermelon and eat it. Also balance it with healthy fats and proteins. Healthy fats and proteins slow down the absorption of blood sugar. In such a situation, you can enjoy this delicious fruit by paying attention to some things.