In the presence of diabetes, doctors strictly recommend that you carefully monitor your diet, calculate the amount of consumption of a product. This is because this disease has the property of rapidly deteriorating with an improper diet.
Diabetes and bananas: is it possible to combine
So. Many sick people are concerned about the question of whether bananas can be used for diabetes? It is worth noting that in the presence of this disease, a person should pay special attention to foods containing a large amount of carbohydrates, which in themselves are the most undesirable substances in the body for diabetes. They are especially rich in desserts, sweets, white bread, pasta, fresh fruits.
Among other fruits that doctors traditionally recommend to their patients to avoid are bananas. But it should be noted that this fruit for diabetics can also be beneficial, because it has many valuable trace elements and substances. Therefore, it is not recommended to completely exclude banana from the patient's diet. You should only monitor the regularity of its consumption and quantity. The latter should be small, limited.
The nutritional value of bananas: the benefits and harms
The first rule of consuming bananas for diabetes is moderation. This fruit contains a small amount of saturated fat, as well as sodium and cholesterol. In addition, they contain nutrient compounds that are quite favorable for diabetics, including B6 vitamins, potassium and magnesium. On the other hand, the recommendations of doctors in connection with the need for strict restriction of bananas in the patient’s diet are due to the fact that this fruit contains a large amount of sugar. That is why, when answering the question whether bananas can be used for diabetes, doctors advise giving up this fruit. In an extreme case, it is recommended to carefully monitor the amount of its consumption.
One medium-sized banana has a glycemic load of 11. This is the indicator by which a measure of the effect of food on blood sugar is determined. With diabetes, a glycemic load of less than 10 is considered low, more than 20 - high. Therefore, bananas in diabetes are just in the interval of a normal load. Therefore, it is worth thinking about adding such fruit to the diet.
Is it possible or not?
So, can you eat bananas for diabetes? In terms of its effect on blood sugar, banana is one of those fruits that, when consumed in large quantities, can cause significant harm to the patient. But with moderate and restrained inclusion in the diet, mealy fruit can be quite a healthy and optimal option for the patient due to other nutrients and vitamins that are included in its composition.
Other delicious fruits
It is worth noting that among other fruits that are low in sugar, apples, pears and black grapes stand out. But papaya and pineapple should be strictly avoided for diabetics, since the percentage of sugar in these fruits is extremely high.
How to use bananas for ailment: tips for people with diabetes
There are many competent ways to include bananas in your diet for diabetes so that this fruit does not harm, but benefits. To do this, strictly adhere to the following effective principles:
- Before each food intake, approximately or as accurately as possible calculate the carbohydrate content of the food. For example, one medium-sized banana contains approximately 30 g of carbohydrates. This indicator is considered the most optimal amount for diabetes. And this amount will be enough for one snack per day. However, if the food intended for eating on a certain day already has other sources of carbohydrate, it is necessary either to reduce their quantity or to remove the banana from the diet on this day. You can also evenly distribute the right amount of carbohydrates between different sources. For example, you can eat half or a quarter of a banana in combination with another product - a source of carbohydrate.
- Bananas for diabetes must be combined with other foods containing fats and proteins. Even if one such tropical fruit includes a greater amount of carbohydrates than is recommended for diabetes, then this amount can be "diluted" with foods with a high level of other minerals. With this approach, unwanted effects will be compensated. For example, you can eat bananas for diabetes in combination with foods such as almond oil, or a small amount of nuts. Such combinations in food not only optimize the ratio of carbohydrates to proteins in the blood, but also give the food an additional taste and aroma.
- Another option on how to consume bananas for diabetes is to combine them with protein sources, such as walnuts, yogurt, turkey slices, etc. In such combinations, eating food will not only give a person a feeling of satiety, but also help regulate sugar levels in blood.
- According to the results of numerous studies, half-ripened, half- green bananas have less effect on blood sugar than fully ripened, yellow, soft fruits. In addition, in unripe bananas, a high content of persistent starch, which is destroyed in the body for a longer time, and this in turn leads to a slow increase in blood sugar.
- Pay attention to the size of the consumed fruit. A smaller banana contains a small amount of carbohydrates compared to a large fruit. Therefore, if the patient wonders whether or not a banana is possible with diabetes, then it is possible to answer unequivocally, yes. But you need to eat smaller bananas.
Adhering to these simple recommendations, you can largely regulate the level of sugar in the blood only due to the consumed food and a competent combination of products.
How many bananas to eat per day
In order to answer this question, it is necessary to take into account factors such as a person’s personality, degree of activity, as well as how a banana affects blood sugar. The effect of this fruit on blood sugar is also among the individual factors. Since in some people blood sugar is more sensitive to the effects of bananas than in others. This should be determined by individual sensations, as well as the result of appropriate analyzes.
The benefits of tropical fruit for diabetics
Bananas for diabetes are recommended for use in moderation. Sometimes it’s enough for a person to eat one or even half of the fetus per day to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Sometimes the patient can calmly consume fruits in fairly large quantities. Nevertheless, doctors recommend adhering to the principle of moderation and sanity. Only in this way can, if you do not defeat the disease, then leave it in a state of remission longer.
Little conclusion
Thus, it follows that the consumption of bananas in diabetes is quite safe, if you follow the above tips. You should also correctly combine the daily intake of proteins and fats along with carbohydrates.