What Is The Glycemic Index Of Cantaloupe Melon
The glycemic index is fairly high for the fruit of Cantaloupe. Most fruits holds a Glycemic index between 30-50, but cantaloupe has a glycemic index of 65.
However, because the fruit is mostly made up of water, a standard 120 gram serving is very low on carbohydrates and calories, which means the glycemic load has a score of 4.
As discussed earlier, there are 2 other melons, besides cantaloupe, out there. Lets compare those 2 other melons to cantaloupe, and see what the difference is between the nutrients they offer.
Health Benefits Of Watermelon For Diabetes Patients
How is watermelon good for diabetics? Let us look into some of the health benefits of the fruit when it comes to the diabetes patients:
One of the effects in diabetes is the feeling of fatigue and extreme tiredness in patients suffering from the condition. This is due to the increase in the levels of blood glucose which hinders the smooth circulation of blood throughout the body. By lowering the high sugar content of the blood, Watermelon plays a big role in helping to increase energy levels.
Regular consumption of Watermelon also helps in combating the kidney-related issue which is one of the major complications faced by diabetes patients. It does so by reducing the chances of inflammation of kidneys and also by helping in the smooth flow of blood.
Rich in antioxidants, Watermelon helps a great deal in preventing several types of infections that might be caused due to diabetes.
The fruit is a powerful source of fiber and also contains water in huge quantity. These properties make it extremely beneficial for the bodys digestion. This, in turn, helps to combat problems of vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, and bloating which are common problems faced by patients with
Memory problems, dementia, amnesia are not unheard of in diabetes patients. The regular addition of this colorful fruit in the diet will prevent the patients from such problems and complications.
Are There Any Fruits I Should Avoid
Things get dicey when you process, juice, can, or dry fruits. This is because sugar is often added and healthy fibers are removed. Frozen fruit is fine, just make sure it doesnt contain added sweeteners.
Bottom line: if you didnt buy it in the produce aisle, check the label, watch for added sugar, and watch your portions.
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Keep Portions In Check
The American Diabetes Association recommends about 45% of total daily calorie intake come from carbohydrates. If you are following a fixed, consistent carbohydrate meal plan, you need to factor in fruit as a carbohydrate choice. When choosing fruit, try to stick with one fruit serving per meal or snack and limit your fruit servings to no more than about two to three per day.
Keep in mind that one fruit serving is about 15 grams of carbohydrates. How much of each fruit you can eat within that one-serving limit will depend on the type of fruit. Here is a list of what is considered one serving for common whole fruits:
- 1 small-sized apple, orange, peach, pear, or plum
- 1/2 medium banana
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries and blackberries
There are some fruits that you should be more cautious about. For instance, it’s recommended that bananas, cherries, grapes, mango, and pineapple be eaten only in the limited quantities noted, as they can cause a fast spike in blood sugars due to their higher carbohydrate content.
If you are looking to get the most value for the biggest portion, you will want to choose fruits that are very high in fiber, such as berries. For example, you can eat 1 1/4 cup of strawberries for 15 grams carbohydrates.
A List Of Fruits That Are Not Just Diabetic
diabetesAlso read: How to stay away from heart disease, BP, obesity, diabetes? The answer is in your foodApples Avocados
They are high in fibers as well, and have been linked with lowering the risk of diabetes.
Berries:Papaya Star fruit: ThinkStock Photos Kiwi fruitMelons : Dragon fruit
is full of dietary fibers, vital vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
PearOrange:
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History And Different Names
Cantaloupe is a fruit thats been around for quite a long time, now. Due to that fact, people arent 100% positive about where it originated. However, it most likely originated in a region from South Asia to Africa.
Although its not certain where it actually originated, it is known that it was introduced to Europe later on, somewhere around 1890.
After that, it went to the United States, becoming a commercial crop there. Now, cantaloupes are actually the most popular melon in the United States.
The cantaloupe melon has other names it goes by, though most people are unaware of them. Some of those names include:
- rock melon,
- spanspek.
These alternative names are mainly based on the taste and texture of the fruit.
Now that weve gone in-depth about the history of Cantaloupe, and the different names it goes by, lets dig deeper into the nutrients that the fruit holds.
Glycemic Index Of Mango
The glycemic index is a tool used to rank foods according to their effects on blood sugar. On its 0100 scale, 0 represents no effect and 100 represents the anticipated impact of ingesting pure sugar .
Any food that ranks under 55 is considered low on this scale and may be a better choice for people with diabetes.
The GI of mango is 51, which technically classifies it as a low GI food .
Still, you should keep in mind that peoples physiological responses to food vary. Thus, while mango can certainly be considered a healthy carb choice, its important to evaluate how you respond to it personally to determine how much you should include in your diet .
summary
Mango contains natural sugar, which can contribute to increased blood sugar levels. However, its supply of fiber and antioxidants may help minimize its overall blood sugar impact.
If you have diabetes and want to include mango in your diet, you can use several strategies to reduce the likelihood that it will increase your blood sugar levels.
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Watermelon A Revitalizing Summer Fruit
On a hot sunny day, people may think: what can be anything better than having a thick slice of cold watermelon? Watermelon just cant be beaten when it comes to refreshment. It is such a fan following or much-beloved one that it even has its special day which is, August 3 . Can there be any better time to have fun by gulping this thirst-quenching fruit!
Watermelon has become an icon of summer as per the traditions. It is energizing, bright, and contains more than 90% water, consequently the name. Watermelon is referred to as a pepo: a modified berry having a rough and thick outer rind. It is heavily measured as a melon, though it doesnt belong to the Cucumis genus. It belongs to the same Cucurbitaceae family as melons, pumpkins, or cucumbers.
Any diabetic person may be a bit hesitant about consuming watermelon. Nevertheless, watermelon is one of the most loved fruits containing natural sugar. So, can sugar patients eat watermelon? How can a watermelon influence your blood glucose levels? And tastiness kept sideways, is it a healthy food to have? Read on!
Orange Or Yellow Watermelon
These lack lycopene and generally weigh between 5 and 18 pounds. They also tend to be sweeter than red watermelons.
You might even come across square or cubic watermelons. These watermelons dont naturally grow in a square shape rather, they are grown using a square-shaped mold. Why? Invented in Japan, square watermelons are more compact, take up less room on a refrigerator shelf, and wont roll off the counter. The downside of square watermelons is that they dont taste as sweet as their rounder siblings and they cost a pretty penny up to $100 per melon! Hardly economical for most people.
Watermelons are grown in more than 96 countries worldwide, and the United States ranks number seven in production. The majority of domestic watermelon crops are grown in Florida, Georgia, Texas and California, as these states have the right climate for a long, slow growing season.
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What Is In Cantaloupe
The nutrition in cantaloupe is in the table below:
|
Nutrient |
|
|
Protein |
4.6 g |
The main topic of this article: Cantaloupe and diabetes. If youre reading this to find out the answer to whether or not diabetics can consume cantaloupe with no worries, the next question and answer may be something you want to pay attention to.
For diabetics, it is important to pay attention to the Glycemic Index of the foods they eat. The glycemic index is a number that can tell you how much a food can increase your blood sugar.
The higher the number, the more likely it is to raise your blood sugar, and the higher the number, the higher your blood sugar could potentially be raised by the food.
Now that we know what glycemic index is, lets discuss what the number is in Cantaloupe Melon, and discover whether its likely to raise your blood sugar, lower your blood sugar, or just leave it be.
When To Consume Watermelon
Watermelons have high natural sugar content. If you are a diabetic patient, eat it in moderation. Large quantities may spike blood sugar levels. Watermelon is acidic and is relatively difficult to digest if taken later in the day or the evening. To get maximum benefits of the fruit, chew on it mid-afternoon.
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Top 20 Fruits For Diabetics
According to various guidelines laid down by nutritionist and medical institutions, at least 4-5 servings of fruits needs to be consumed daily by every individual. If you are diabetic, we are sure that this question has popped up in your head, is it safe to have fruits? To help all diabetics with this question, we have Mrs. Kamna Desai Nutritionist, with us. She says, “Yes, diabetics can have fruits, provided the sugar level of the patient is in control, but these fruits must be consumed in a limited quantity. Diabetics need an equivalent serving of fruits on a day to day basis. One needs to be careful about not going overboard with fruits like bananas, litchis, chickoo, and custard apples.” To help diabetic patients, she lists down some fruits which will not affect DON’T MISSContinue reading > >
What Does This Mean For Me My Diet And My Diabetes Care
If you want to add watermelon to your weekly meal plan, its best to look at your diet as a whole. Watermelon has a higher GI, yet a low GL. Keep an eye on portion sizes and test glucose levels after eating watermelon to see how your body responds.
Talk to your healthcare provider about how you want to add variety to your diet. Theyll review your current diet and look at your overall health profile.
They may refer you to a dietitian to help you determine the best eating plan.
A dietitian can:
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Why Do I Need To Be Careful About Fruit Juices And Smoothies
Weve mentioned fruit juice and smoothies and these are something that, ideally, need to be avoided or at least cut down on. This is because fruit juice and smoothies have most of the roughage removed or already broken down, so it is very easy to drink large quantities in a short space of time and ultimately this means extra calories and carbohydrate. Having less intact fibre means fruit juices and smoothies are not as beneficial to the body compared to whole fruits.
A serving 150ml provides about 15g carbs which counts towards free sugar, so you can see how easily it is to take in a lot of carbohydrate and free sugar without really noticing.
Watermelon For Diabetes Heres Why Diabetics Should Stay Away From This Fruit
Watermelon is known to be the favourite fruit of many people, but if you are a diabetic, you are bound to ask whether it is safe for you. We dont want our favourite fruit to end up increasing our blood sugar levels right?
The watermelon belongs to the gourd family, and has good nutritional value and is a great source of lycopene, which reduces your risk of cancer and heart disease.
So considering that it has a high glycemic index and is a source of carbohydrates, should it be avoided by diabetics?
Watermelon is a fruit with high water and fibre content. However, people living with diabetes should consider in what proportion the fruit must be eaten. This is because watermelon has a glycemic index of 72 per 100 g serving. Those with diabetes should usually think twice before consuming any foods with a GI of 70 or more. Large quantities may cause blood sugar levels to rise considerably, says Anshika Gupta, who is a diabetes educator on the app BeatO, and is based out of Delhi.
So how much watermelon is good for those with diabetes?
As watermelon is 70-80% water, its glycemic load is low . People with diabetes can consume 150-200 gm watermelon at one time. It will give you around 15 gm of carbohydrate, explains Gupta.
For the rest, it is important that they understand the various benefits that watermelon has to offer.
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Cantaloupe Vs Honeydew Melon The Difference In Nutritional Content
Just like cantaloupe, honeydew is considered a musk melon. Watermelon is not considered a musk melon, so cantaloupe and watermelon have some more differences between them than cantaloupe and honeydew have.
Actually, the two musk melons only have two differences regarding the nutritional content, cantaloupe coming out on top in both of them.
The first one is something cantaloupe holds over watermelon, as well, which I talked about above. Cantaloupe has more immune-boosting vitamin C than honeydew does, making it a better choice to strengthen your immune system and to fight off illnesses.
The other difference between the two is that cantaloupe contains more beta-carotene than honeydew does. Beta-carotene is a nutrient that converts to vitamin A when it enters the body, making it good for your skin, and for your eyesight.
Other than that, the two musk melons dont have any differences in the nutritional content they hold. The only other differences between them have to do with the appearance and the taste of the fruits.
Above, while discussing the differences between the 3 popular melons, we touched just a bit on the health benefits that cantaloupe has. However, the fruit has many more benefits that we havent discussed.
So, were going to discuss those benefits right now, and get in-depth about the positive effects that cantaloupe can potentially have on the human body.
Watermelon And Blood Sugar Levels
If you are diabetic and are considering introducing watermelon into your diet, know that the fruit can be both good and bad for you depending on how much you eat. If you eat small amounts at once, you wont experience spikes in blood sugar levels at the same time, you should enjoy benefits for health derived from the nutritional content of the fruit. But eating too much watermelon at once will definitely raise your blood sugar to unhealthy levels and compromise blood sugar control.
Portion size sets the basis for either benefits or side effects. Individual nutritional requirements, level of physical activity, other dietary choices and current management of the metabolic disease are factors that determine whether or not you can eat the fruit and how much or little of it you can eat.
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Watermelon Glycemic Index: 72
The glycemic index, GI, is a numerical scale that measures how much the sugar obtained from any given food raises blood sugar levels. A GI below 55 is low. A GI between 55 and 69 is moderate. A GI between 70 and 100 is high. Watermelon has a high glycemic index score of 72.
This means that eating even small amounts has the potential to cause spikes in blood sugar levels. And this high GI score is the reason why watermelon is viewed as a bad food for diabetics. In this respect, pears or plums seem like better fruits to eat with and for diabetes because of their low GI score, although they still need to be consumed in limited amounts too.
Ways To Consume Watermelon For Diabetics
Typically considered as a summer treat, watermelon is consumed throughout the world in many forms. The most common methods are to have them simply as diced slices or in juices, smoothies, shakes, etc.
The rind of the fruit is hard and tasteless, but it can be made edible by cooking. Even the seeds of watermelon are highly recommended for their health benefits and are enjoyed immensely as garnishes or in breakfast cereals.
Adding foods rich in proteins and minerals helps to slow down sugar metabolism and helps maintain optimum blood sugar levels.
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Get The Most Out Of Your Fruit Choices
When choosing fruit, you’ll want to think about portion size, convenience, cost, and flavor, but also health benefits. Certain types of fruit, such as berries and citrus fruits, can be beneficial for people with diabetes.
Berries are rich in vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. Vitamin C is an important water-soluble vitamin that is involved in repairing cells , slowing down aging, and boosting immunity. Additionally their rich colorred, blue, and black comes from anthocyanins. Research suggests that anthocyanins may help fend off certain chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease.
Citrus fruits, such as tangerines, also contain vitamin C, and potassium and are a good source of fat soluble vitamin A, an important vitamin for eye health. Citrus fruits, also contain phytonutrients which can protect cells from damage, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and provide other health benefits. But, if you are on a potassium restricted diet or take cholesterol-lowering medication you may have to watch your intake of citrus fruits so make sure you discuss intake with your physician before adding them to your meal plan.