Can you Eat Bananas in Diabetes?
Diabetes diets should include items that do not cause blood sugar swings. Blood sugar control is an essential aspect of diabetes management. People with diabetes are often told to avoid eating fruits since they contain fructose, the natural sugar found in fruits. This, however, is not the case. Most fruits have a low glycemic index, which means they don’t cause blood sugar changes. They can help the body in various ways when ingested in controlled quantities, and this is true even for people with diabetes. Banana is the fruit that is available throughout the year. Whether it is a healthy fruit for persons with diabetes, In this post, we will discuss eating bananas in diabetes.
A banana is a fruit that is typically eaten during breakfast. It has a sweet flavor and is high in carbs and sugar. Does this imply that the banana can raise your blood sugar levels? Is it safe for people with diabetes to eat bananas? Continue reading to find out the answer to whether you can eat bananas in diabetes or not?
Bananas in Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you can have bananas in moderation in your diet. As long as an individual does not consume excessive amounts of banana, its vitamin, mineral, and fiber content can provide nutritional benefits to those with diabetes.
The authors of a short study published in 2014 source offered 250- or 500-gram (g) morning servings of banana to fifteen people with type 2 diabetes and 30 people with high cholesterol levels in their blood.They discovered that while the banana serving had no immediate effect on blood glucose, eating the serves every morning dramatically reduced fasting blood glucose.
However, the researchers admit that a more extensive study is needed to prove the glucose-lowering impact of bananas in a clinically meaningful way. So eating bananas in diabetes is still a topic of budding research.
According to a 2017 cohort study source of 0.5 million participants, while lower-GI fruits are safer for people with diabetes than higher-GI fruits, both can help a person reduce the chance of having diabetes in the first place.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), patients with diabetes should incorporate fruit into a regulated diet by eating a small piece of whole fruit or a half-serving large fruit as a dessert with each meal.
Nutrition in Banana
(i) Fibre aiding Satiety
Three grams of fiber is in a medium-sized banana. You should include dietary fiber in your diet because it provides numerous advantages. Some of the advantages of dietary fiber in diabetics include:
It delays digestion and glucose absorption.
It minimizes general blood sugar rises and effectively regulates diabetes so that you can eat bananas in diabetes.
(ii) Low to Medium Glycemic Index
A food’s glycemic index (GI) is a value assigned to it based on how quickly or slowly it raises blood glucose levels.
GI comes in three varieties.
- GI low: GI of 55 or less
- GI Medium: 56 to 69
- High GI: 70-100
Lower GI foods are slowly digested and induce a gradual adjustment in blood sugar levels.
Bananas have a GI ranging from 42 to 62, depending on ripeness. People with diabetes should always consume somewhat green bananas because they have a lower GI than overripe bananas.
Abundant Vitamin B6, Potassium and Antioxidants
Vitamin B6 is essential in preventing diabetes-related problems such as kidney disease, neuropathy etc.
When your potassium levels are low, your body produces less insulin, increasing your blood sugar levels. According to research, those with low potassium levels are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal potassium levels. It is unknown whether low potassium levels induce diabetes. If you are at risk of developing diabetes, you should consider testing your potassium levels before eating bananas in diabetes.
Antioxidants have been proven in studies to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes by preventing the creation of free radicals. However, further study is needed to confirm the effectiveness of antioxidants in treating type 2 diabetes to decide whether you can eat bananas in diabetes or not. Excess antioxidants are not advised.
Bananas in Diabetes and Diet
- If you have diabetes and want to eat bananas, keep the following tips in mind.
- Eat only firm, ripe bananas. Don’t buy overripe bananas.
- Avoid banana milkshakes and smoothies.
- Distribute your fruit consumption throughout the day to eat bananas in diabetes
- Avoid eating fruit right after a meal. Serve as a mid-meal snack.
Following are the other diet tips for bananas in diabetes
(a) Cooking and Preparation- bananas in Diabetes
Because of the way that some manufacturers process banana products, they may not be appropriate for those who have diabetes. For instance, some food manufacturers will pitch dried banana chips as a healthy treat or snack. These chips are then sold to consumers.
However, these might have added sugars or syrups to boost the flavor. Eating a portion of banana chips is more likely to trigger a surge in blood sugar than munching on a fresh banana, even if the banana is only a few inches in length.
Be sure to give nutrition labels a thorough read, and cut back on or altogether avoid eating dried fruits that contain extra sugar before eating bananas in diabetes.
(b) Combine Bananas with a “good” Fat or Protein Source
Eating a banana with a source of unsaturated fat, such as almond or peanut butter, pistachios, sunflower seeds, or walnuts, might improve blood sugar levels while increasing flavor.
Pairing a banana with a protein source, such as Greek yogurt, is another healthy option for persons with diabetes. So you eat bananas in diabetes the right way.
It will help a person feel fuller for longer and minimize the need to eat during the day, thereby assisting with blood sugar regulation.
(c) Prefer Unripe Banana over Ripe Bananas
Unripe bananas may release glucose more slowly than ripe bananas.
An older study of ten diabetic participants examined bananas’ maturity concerning blood sugar in 1992. According to the researchers, green or unripe bananas had a slower effect on blood sugar than ripe bananas.
Unripe bananas contain more starch than ripe bananas. The body does not as easily break down starches as less complex carbohydrates. It results in a slower, more manageable rise in blood sugar. Therefore eating unripe bananas is the best way to eat bananas in diabetes.
(d) Consume Smaller Bananas
You can influence the amount of sugar in bananas through portion control.
Bananas come in a variety of sizes. If a person chooses a smaller banana, they will consume fewer carbohydrates, so this is the best way to eat ripe bananas in diabetes.
For example, a small 6-7 inches long has 23.07 grams (g) of carbohydrates per serving, whereas an extra-large banana has just under 35 g of carbohydrates.
(e) How many can you consume in a day?
The answer varies on the individual, their degree of activity, and how bananas affect their blood sugar.
Some individuals’ blood glucose levels may be more responsive to bananas than others. Knowing how bananas affect a person’s blood sugar might assist them in managing their medications and, if necessary, insulin shots.
Consult your doctor or a qualified dietitian about incorporating bananas into your diabetes food plan.
(f) Keep track of the carbs to eat bananas in diabetes.
One medium-sized, 7-8-inch banana has around 26 g of carbohydrates.Dependable source Work with your healthcare team to determine your ideal carbohydrate consumption. A doctor or dietician will teach individuals how to limit their consumption of fiber, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in a practical method.
A person with diabetes should strictly adhere to their eating plan and include bananas in diabetes accordingly.Keep in mind that having a banana with another source of carbohydrates, such as toast or cereal, increases that meal’s overall carb intake.
Depending on the doctor’s nutritional advice, you may require to change out carbs in a later meal.Alternatively, after eating a lower-carb lunch, you can spend the carbs you saved on a tiny banana as a snack.It ensures that no single meal or snack contains excessive carbs.
(Also read- Dragon fruit in Pregnancy)
Conclusion
Bananas are a safe and healthy fruit that people with diabetes can consume in moderation as part of a well-balanced, personalized diet plan.A diabetic’s diet should contain fresh, plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables.Bananas are high in nutrients while being low in calories.It is best to consult with a trained dietitian or diabetes specialist for a precise food plan ans eat bananas in diabetes in moderation.