Monday, April 15, 2024
HomeNewsCan You Get Diabetes From Fruit

Can You Get Diabetes From Fruit


Diabetes Can Strikehardeven When Weight Is Normal

New Study – Eating Fruit Decreases Your Risk of Diabetes

ARCHIVED CONTENT: As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

We tend to think of type 2 diabetes as a disease that afflicts people who are overweight. But it can also appear in people with perfectly healthy weightsand be more deadly in them. A study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes than overweight people with diabetes.

Such apparent protection by excess weight has been called the obesity paradox. Its been seen with other conditions, like heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. Overweight or obese people with these conditions seem to fare better or live longer than their normal-weight counterparts.

That doesnt mean gaining weight is a healthy strategy. Instead, it probably means that something else besides weightlike the amount of fat around the waistmay be contributing to the onset and severity of type 2 diabetes.


Avoid Dried Fruit And Fruit Juices

Dried fruit, especially if it is sweetened, is higher in carbohydrates per serving than natural whole fruit. It also contains more sugar because sugars are often added for flavor and can be lower in fiber if the skin has been removed. Just four tablespoons of raisins will cost you: 120 calories, 32 grams of carbohydrates, and 24 grams of sugar.

It’s also best to avoid all fruit juices. Even 100% fruit juice causes instant spikes in blood sugars because the flesh of the fruit, which contains fiber, is discarded. It is also easy to drink an excess amount of calories without realizing it. For example, 1 cup of 100% fruit juice contains 130 calories, 33 grams of carbohydrates, and 28 grams of sugar.

Instead of dried fruit or fruit juice, opt for whole fruitfresh, frozen, or cannedwithout added syrups or sugars.

Myth: If You Are Sick And Cannot Eat You Do Not Have To Take Your Diabetes Medicines

If you are sick even if you cannot eat you should not skip your diabetes medicines. When you are sick, your body produces hormones that can increase your blood glucose. If you are sick, it is a good idea to check your blood glucose, even if it is usually controlled and you are not in the habit of checking it regularly. If you find that your blood glucose control is off, then you can discuss with your doctor the best approach to getting it under control. Also be alert for signs of diabetic ketoacidosis , a serious complication of diabetes that can cause coma or even death. This happens when your body does not have enough insulin and starts breaking down fat as fuel. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of DKA, including confusion, fatigue, and nausea/vomiting.7

You May Like: Does Type 2 Diabetes Need Insulin


Should People With Diabetes Eat Fruitanswers By Jaclyn Konich Mph Rd

We get this question all the timeyou have diabetes, and your doctor told you to avoid sugar and carbs. Fruit has sugar and carbs, but youve been hearing all your life to eat more FRUITS and vegetables! So, should people with diabetes eat fruit?

Before you give up all fruit, lets consider the many health benefitsfruit is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, just like vegetables. The bright and varied colors of fruit each come with different vitamins and minerals.Fruit is also a source of water and fiber that can help you stay hydrated, feel full, and maintain regular bowel movements. It can be tough to get enough fiber in your day, but doing so can also help with managing blood glucose and reducing your risk of heart disease.Given the health benefits, there is no need to cut fruit out of your diet. Fruit contains natural sugars while other sweet treats are often filled with added sugars.As a matter of fact, fruit can be a great option in place of desserts and pastries when you are craving something sweet. A bowl of Berries and Cream after dinner can be just as satisfying as a bowl of ice cream!Fruit can also be a portable snack when youre on the go, and is often much more nutritious than most snack foods. Make a colorful and fun snack with Fruit and Cheese Kabobs.

Type 2 Diabetes In Women: Young Slim And Diabetic

Can You Get Diabetes from Eating Too Much Fruit ...

Type 2 diabetes is threatening a new group of people: seemingly fit women.

Stephanie Yi, 29, had a body most women would kill for. She never had to work hard to maintain her long-limbed, flat-bellied frameweekend hikes near her northern California home and lots of spinach salads did the trick. She could easily afford to indulge her sweet tooth with the occasional buttery, sugary snack. At 57 and 120 pounds, she had, she figured, hit the good-genes jackpot.

But everything changed two years ago, when a crippling fatigue left her sidelined from college classes. Listless, she dragged herself to a doctor, who suspected a thyroid imbalance. A blood test and a few days later, she received the alarming results: Her thyroid was fine her blood sugar levels were not. She was prediabetic and on the cusp of developing type 2.


Stephanie was stunned. Of course, shed heard diabetes was a health crisis. But werent type 2 diabetics fat, sedentary, and on junk-food-and-soda diets? Stephanie hadnt been to a drive-through in ages she didnt touch meat. Yet, somehow, shed gotten an illness most slim women dodge.

The number of diabetes-related hospitalizations among people in their thirties has doubled in the past decade, with women 1.3 times more likely to be admitted than men. Perhaps even more troubling is the enormous number of people age 20 or older with prediabetes: 65 million, up from 57 million in 2007.

RELATED:How To Prevent Diabetes

Read Also: Metformin Dosage Prediabetes

Other Healthy Strategies For Eating Fruit

What else can you do to make sure you eat healthy fruit?


  • Portion size is key! Set out the amount of fruit that you want to eat, and then stick to that portion this will help you avoid eating too much fruit and experiencing a blood sugar spike. Its also helpful to spread multiple servings of fruit out over the course of the day, rather than eating a lot of fruit at once.

  • Choose fresh fruit whenever possible. Canned fruit, dried fruit, and sometimes frozen fruit often have added sugars . Processed fruit also generally contains added sugar.

  • Try to avoid fruit juice. Fruit juice contains all of the sugar of fruit without the fiber to help your body process it. This means that juice can cause your blood sugar to spike quickly. If you are drinking fruit juice, drink a very small portion and consider adding water to it make sure you get 100% fruit juice so that no extra sugars are added to sweeten the drink. Note: this is why juice can be used to quickly raise your blood sugar if you are experiencing hypoglycemia.

Myth: If You Have Diabetes You Can Eat As Much Fruit As You Want

Fresh fruit is an important part of a healthy eating plan. Fruits provide as well as essential minerals and vitamins. However, they are a source of carbohydrates and can cause elevated blood glucose if you eat too much of them. Work with a registered dietitian to determine the amount, frequency, and kinds of fruit you should have in your healthy eating plan.3

You May Like: Can You Be Born With Insulin Resistance

How Does Fruit Affect Blood Sugar

Because they have carbohydrates, fruits will raise yourà blood sugar. So itâs important to count the carbs you eat and balance them with medicine,à ,à and lifestyle choices. If youâre having trouble keeping your blood sugar under control, let your doctor know right away.

One serving of fruit has 15 grams of carbs. But the serving size can be very different depending on the type of fruit. For example, you get 15 grams of carbs from:

  • 1/2 mediumà à or banana
  • 1 cup blackberries or raspberries
  • 3/4 cup blueberries
  • 1 1/4 cup whole strawberries
  • 1 cup cubed honeydew melon
  • 1/8 cup raisins

Carbs arenât the only number to keep in mind. The glycemic index measures how a food affects your blood sugar. Foods that are low on the scale raise it slowly. Those high on the scale raise it quickly.


Eating mostly low-GI foods can help you keep control of your blood sugar. But they may not always be good for you. A candy bar and a cup of brown rice can have the same GI value. Be sure to keep nutrition in mind when choosing what to eat.

A large serving of a low-GI food will usually raise your blood sugar as much as a small amount of a high-GI food. So experts also use glycemic load , a measurement that involves portion size as well as the GI number, to give more details about these effects. For example, an orange has a GI of 52 but a glycemic load of 4.4, which is low. A candy bar with a GI of 55 may have a GL of 22.1, which is high.

The Best And Worst Fruits To Eat If You Have Diabetes

10 Safety Hacks for Diabetics To Eat Any Fruit (Diabetes and Fruits To Eat)

Learn why people with diabetes should eat fruitplus, find out which fruits are best and how much is OK to have each day.

Good news for fruit lovers everywhere: eating fresh fruit is associated with a lower risk of diabetes and a lower risk of complications if you already have the disease, according to a recent study published in PLOS Medicine.

If you’ve been steering clear of fruit because of the sugar content, there’s no reason to do so, according to this study. Over a seven-year time period, researchers analyzed the diet and health outcomes of more than 500,000 Chinese adults. The researchers found that higher fruit consumption was not associated with higher blood sugar, even for people with diabetes. Adults who consumed fruit more frequently actually had a lower risk of developing diabetes.


Related:Low-Carb Fruits Ranked from Lowest to Highest Carbs

The study only analyzed fresh fruit consumption, not dried fruit or fruit juice, so we turned to a few registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators to clarify the best and worst fruits, appropriate serving sizes, and how many carbohydrates you should get from fruit each day.

Recommended Reading: How Long Do Type 1 Diabetics Live

Honey Agave Nectar And Maple Syrup

People with diabetes often try to minimize their intake of white table sugar, as well as treats like candy, cookies, and pie.

However, other forms of sugar can also cause blood sugar spikes. These include brown sugar and natural sugars such as honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup.


Although these sweeteners arent highly processed, they contain at least as many carbs as white sugar. In fact, most contain even more.

Below are the carb counts of a 1-tablespoon serving of popular sweeteners:

  • white sugar: 12.6 grams (
  • 40 )

In one study, people with prediabetes experienced similar increases in blood sugar, insulin, and inflammatory markers regardless of whether they consumed 1.7 ounces of white sugar or honey .

Your best strategy is to avoid all forms of sugar and use natural low carb sweeteners instead.

Summary

Honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup arent as processed as white table sugar, but they may have similar effects on blood sugar, insulin, and inflammatory markers.

Nutritional Requirements Of Breastfeeding

Taking care of a new baby may change when and how you eat. So you might need to test your blood sugar more often and adjust your diabetes medicines.


Eat a nutritious diet.

Your body is using energy making breast milk, so you might have more low blood sugars. Eat a snack before or during nursing or before naps to prevent hypoglycemia. A registered dietitian can help you tailor your meal plan to meet your nutritional needs, your target blood sugar range, and your weight goals.

Some examples of healthy snacks include:

  • Bagel with cream cheese.
  • Dried fruit and nut mix.
  • Crackers with cheese or cottage cheese.
  • Hard-boiled egg and toast.
  • Fruit salad.

Drink plenty of water and other sugar-free, non-caffeinated beverages. If you drink milk and juice to meet your fluid needs, be sure to count them in your meal plan.

It’s best to not drink alcohol while you are breastfeeding, because it may increase your risk of low blood sugar and prevent you from drinking more nutritious beverages. If you choose to have a drink now and then, have only one drink, and limit the number of occasions that you have a drink. Wait to breastfeed at least 2 hours after you have a drink to reduce the amount of alcohol the baby may get in the milk.


You May Like: Glipizide / Metformin Side Effects

Relation Between Eating Too Much Fruit And Type 2 Diabetes

As you know, type 2 diabetes is a complex disease and is caused due to various factors. One important cause is the high levels of sugar which increase glucose in your blood. However, the relationship between the sugar from fruits and type 2 diabetes is a complex one. While a few researchers belief that too much of sugar can cause type 2 diabetes, a few others are of the view that the same may not be true completely.

Researchers belief that both simple, as well as complex carbohydrates,breakdown into sugar which in turn, changes the level of blood sugar in your body. Simple carbohydrates are the ones that metabolize quickly because they get digested quickly as opposed to the complex form of the carbohydrates. Hence, when you are someone who is suffering from pre diabetes or want to avoid getting diabetic, you should avoid eating different food items that have simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are naturally present in a number of food items that we eat on a day to day basis. This is where fruits come into the picture. The fructose present in fruits you eat is, in fact, a form of a simple carbohydrate which might expose you to a greater chance of contracting type 2 diabetes. When taken in more than the recommended quantity, you can not only contract diabetes but also expose yourself to higher risks of getting a heart attack, stroke, amongst other complicated conditions.

Diabetes Diet: Should I Avoid Sweet Fruits

How to Reverse Diabetes in 7 Easy Ways?

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t eat sweet fruits such as strawberries or blueberries if you have diabetes. Is this true? Answers from M. Regina Castro, M.D. It’s a common myth that if you have diabetes you shouldn’t eat certain foods because they’re “too sweet.” Some fruits do contain more sugar than others, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat them if you have diabetes. The total amount of carbohydrates in a food affects blood sugar levels more than does the source of carbohydrates or whether the source is a starch or sugar. One serving of fruit should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates. The size of the serving depends on the carbohydrate content of the fruit. The advantage of eating a low-carbohydrate fruit is that you can consume a larger portion. But whether you eat a low-carb or high-carb fruit, as long as the serving size contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, the effect on your blood sugar is the same. The following fruit servings contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates: 1/2 medium apple or banana 1 cup blackberries 3/4 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries 1 1/4 cup whole strawberries 1 cup cubed cantaloupe or honeydew melonContinue reading > >

You May Like: Metformin Max Dose


Myth: If You Have Diabetes You Cannot Enjoy Food

If you have type 2 diabetes, you do not have to give up eating the foods you most enjoy. You can enjoy a menu of wonderful foods that are tasty and help you maintain healthy eating. Since everyones body responds differently to different kinds of foods, there is no right diet for people with diabetes. However, making healthy choices can help keep your blood glucose under control and reduce your risk of complications. Talk to your doctor and get a referral for a registered dietitian, who is also a diabetes educator, to help you figure out what foods and eating plan make the most sense for you and your treatment goals.1

Foods And Drinks To Avoid With Diabetes

Nizam Khan Miho Hatanaka, RDN, L.D.

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has reached epidemic proportions among adults and children worldwide (

Uncontrolled diabetes has many serious consequences, including heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and other complications.


Prediabetes has also been linked to these conditions .

Importantly, eating certain foods can raise your blood sugar and insulin levels and promote inflammation, which may increase your risk of disease.

This article lists 11 foods and drinks that people with diabetes or prediabetes should avoid.

Don’t Miss: Insulin Glucokinase

Are Skinny People At Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Health consciousness is more prevalent in todays era. The general perception is that thin people are at a lower risk of health conditions and complications. Especially in the case of conditions like type 2 diabetes, the belief is that it is a condition developed in people with obesity. However, the incidence of type 2 diabetes, or lean diabetes as it is called, can occur in those with healthy body weight as well. In fact, it can be more lethal in those with normal weight than in the people with obesity.1


RELATED ARTICLES

Popular Articles