People with type 2 diabetes always want to know if fruit is OK for diabetics to eat. Unfortunately, newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics need to absorb so much information that this simple question becomes impossible for them to answer. On top of that, there is a lot of information on the internet about fruit and diabetes that’s downright false.
Fortunately, there are quite a few types of fruits that have excellent benefits for people with type 2 diabetes. Among them are citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, all type of berries… strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and apples. Even bananas can fall into the good fruit category, although they tend to have a little more sugar than some fruits.
Apples: The Perfect Fruit For Diabetics?
As long as you monitor your blood sugar levels and don’t overdo it with too many servings of fruit, you can enjoy nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber in lots of fruits. Let’s take a look at the apple as it might just be the the perfect fruit for diabetics.
Apples are so good for diabetics that research done on people with pre-diabetes found that apples could even keep people from developing diabetes. In the twenty-four hours after “apple consumption”, pre-diabetes symptoms were fewer. It seems that an apple a day can really be as good at keeping the doctor away as the old saying says it is.
Apples Are Loaded With Fiber:
Apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Eating one medium-size apple has the same effect as eating a bowl of bran cereal. In fact, just one apple contains 20% of the daily recommendation for fiber. Because an apple has so much fiber, it is good at controlling blood sugars by releasing them more slowly into the blood. This can give you energy over the long-term and not the quick spike of glucose given by a lot of other fruits and juices.
Studies have shown that apples can reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease, and they can reduce inflammation in those people who have joint diseases. Apples are excellent for digestive health and have a positive effect on your colon. In addition, one of the brightest research findings is that apples are full of antioxidants.
Apples contain antioxidants:
Antioxidants get rid of free radicals… substances which cause cell damage and lead to elevated blood sugar levels. The antioxidants in apples are known as phytochemicals, and include an extra-special flavonoid called quercetin. Quercetin has been shown to prevent cancer and it’s benefits for many other diseases are now being researched. It has promising-looking benefits for Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. If you ate one apple (with skin), approximately 100 grams, you would receive equal antioxidant benefits to taking 1500 grams of vitamin C.
Not only do they cut your risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes, apples help get rid of the plaque which builds up in your blood vessels causing blockages and heart disease.
Maybe the expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” should be changed to “two apples a day will keep type 2 diabetes away”.
