If you suffer from diabetes, in particular in any case you have worrying blood glucose levels – therefore values above 100 milligrams/deciliter on an empty stomach, i.e. in simple terms you have high blood sugar – you have to be very careful about one thing: diet.
In fact, the glycemic level also depends, but not only, on the carbohydrates (i.e. sugars) you ingest. Fundamental premise: an adequate and well-balanced diet must be agreed with an expert nutritionist and with the diabetologist, who also takes care of the pharmacological part.
I'll tell you right away that if you suffer from hyperglycemia there are no absolute prohibitions but certainly foods that have a high carbohydrate content should be avoided, first and foremost cereals and its derivatives: bread, pasta, crackers, biscuits etc.
A false myth says that one of the most "painful" sacrifices, however, could be linked to the consumption of fruit. In reality, however, many fruits have no particular contraindications for diabetics or for those who have high blood sugar levels. I am referring, for example, to apples or strawberries, cherries or oranges. On the contrary, however, you should stay away from fruits such as grapes, bananas or prunes.
The fruits that can be eaten with high blood sugar
It is important to observe a parameter, which is the glycemic index, i.e. the ability of a food to raise blood glucose levels after being digested. So what are the fruits with a low glycemic index? Here is a list:
- Apples
- Pears
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Fresh apricots
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Berries
What matters and what you have to keep in mind is that there is a lot of fiber in the fruit you are biting. The more fiber there is, the lower the glycemic peak reached after digestion. For this reason, it is always better to eat the whole fruit than the juice. Let's take the case of the orange. A juice has a higher glycemic index than the fruit in wedges: the latter reduces carbohydrate absorption since the white part of the peel is rich in pectin, which is an indigestible sugar that is to all intents and purposes a soluble fiber.
Fruit to avoid with high blood sugar
On the other hand, what are the fruits with a high glycemic index and which should therefore be avoided by those with high blood sugar? The following are usually not recommended:
- Grape
- Bananas
- Persimmon
- Figs
- Prunes
- Dried dates (one of the foods in general with the highest glycemic index)
Beware of industrial fruit juices, which very often contain added sugars. Dried, candied and canned fruit should also be avoided.
Finally, the doses of sugar you take when you eat a food are important: in this case we talk about glycemic load, which takes into account not only the glycemic index (which gives a measure of the quality of the sugars ingested) but also the amount of sugars per portion consumed. In short, the rule is that you should never exaggerate. For those with diabetes, a serving of fruit should never contain more than 15 grams of carbohydrates. But this does not mean that you can completely give up the beneficial properties of so much fresh fruit. Especially in summer.
