The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and a variety of tempting fruits are coming to market. Guangdong is abundant in various tropical and subtropical fruits, but it also has a "high prevalence" of diabetes patients. Fruits are delicious but contain sugar. How can diabetes patients with a craving for fruit enjoy this "delight"? Guo Jiewen, Director of the Pharmacy Department of Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, states that fruit should never be eaten with regular meals, but only as a "snack" or one hour before bedtime. In addition to understanding the sugar content of various fruits, it is more important to self-monitor blood sugar and urine sugar to determine which fruits are suitable. She explains that fruit therapy, like medical treatment, is best done scientifically under the guidance of a doctor.
The timing of eating fruit is important
It is well-known that diabetes patients "avoid" high-sugar foods. So, should they eat the sweet and juicy fruits or not? Guo Jiewen says they can, but they must eat them with "skill".
If you eat fruit, you must reduce your staple food intake. Guo Jiewen explains that the calories from fruit should be factored into the patient's total daily caloric intake. For example, if one eats 200 grams of fruit (about one to two medium-sized fruits) in a day, it is recommended to reduce the staple food by 25 grams. This ensures a balanced caloric intake for the entire day. This means exchanging fruit calories with other foods on an equivalent basis, and not exceeding the daily calorie limit due to fruit consumption. At the same time, the primary principle for diabetes patients is to eat fruit in moderation and never in large quantities. Eating large amounts can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, and if high blood sugar persists, it can加重 the burden on the pancreas.
The timing of eating fruit is very important. It is forbidden to eat before or after meals, and especially not to indulge in large quantities during public gatherings or when a fruit platter is served after a meal. It is best to eat fruit as a "snack" or one hour before bedtime. "Snack" refers to eating fruit between two main meals, such as between 9-10 AM or 3-4 PM. It can also be directly used as a snack food, which not only prevents hypoglycemia but also keeps blood sugar from fluctuating significantly.
Eating fruit with meals can affect insulin secretion and metabolism, thereby disrupting its activity. Therefore, for patients who want to eat fruit while controlling their blood sugar, they should establish a scientific and regular schedule for their fruit consumption.
Eating more low-sugar fruits to减轻 the pancreas burden
Watermelon, apple, and kiwi have relatively low sugar content. Doctors prefer to recommend these fruits to diabetes patients because they can减轻 the patient's pancreas burden, help them absorb rich vitamins, minerals, and pectin, and balance their diet.
Moreover, many of the trace elements in these fruits are very helpful for improving and enhancing the activity of insulin in the body of diabetes patients.
Fruits with high sugar content include: bananas (including plantains), pineapple, grapes, and sweet oranges (rich in vitamins but very high in sugar). It is worth pointing out the "controversial" fruit—the lychee, a representative fruit of South China. Guo Jiewen states that the lychee seed can lower blood sugar, and moderate consumption can actually help in treating diabetes, making it a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. However, many people also believe that lychees are too sweet and high in sugar, making them unsuitable for diabetes patients. Therefore, individual reactions to lychees vary greatly, and patients should choose to eat them based on their own personal conditions. Additionally, red dates are also very high in sugar.
Self-monitor blood sugar or urine sugar two hours before and after eating fruit
Although there is general consensus on the sugar content of fruits, Guo Jiewen points out that, similar to the debate over lychees, individual patient differences are significant. Some people may experience a rapid increase in blood sugar after eating low-sugar fruits. Therefore, low-sugar fruits are only a recommendation, and patients must still test and explore on their own to find the fruits that suit them. She advises patients to eat fruit while controlling their blood sugar, meaning they should monitor the fluctuations in their blood sugar or urine sugar two hours before and after consumption. This way, they can determine whether they can eat a certain type of fruit.
She states that if high or low blood sugar does not occur frequently, a wider variety of fruits can be chosen. However, if blood sugar fluctuates significantly or becomes abnormal, it is still necessary to abstain temporarily. Blood sugar must be brought under control before enjoying fruit again.