Can your blood sugar go up after having a fruit bowl in the morning? | Health and Wellness News
Fruits are an excellent source of nutrients, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Hence, consuming fruits in the natural form, as cut fruits, rather than fruit juices, is ideal. However, many people ask me if they can begin with a bowl of fruits first thing in the morning, thinking it will take care of their quota for the day. But although some fruits are high in fibre and low in glycemic index (a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels), some fruits aren’t. Taken together in a bowl, fruits are carbohydrate-heavy, can be digested easily and can release blood sugar quickly, sharply raising your levels first thing in the morning.
This elevated level holds for a while and while it may not matter to those who do not have diabetes, it is not desirable for those who have diabetes. Which is why the carbs at breakfast, while energy-giving, should be balanced with protein, good fats and fibre, which delay digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels.
What about fruits for people with diabetes?
Fruits contain ‘fructose’ or fruit sugar, which quickly gets converted into glucose in the body. Hence, if too many fruits are taken, they can raise your blood sugar levels. Choose what works for you. For example, apple, berries and guava have a low glycemic index. Pineapple, mango, jackfruit, banana and sapota are examples of fruits with high glycemic index.
How should those fond of fruits have them?
For starters, spread their consumption through the day. If we take fruits in between meals rather than with meals, the rise in blood glucose levels will be much less. Second, include fruits in your daily carbohydrate allowance, which means use them as substitutes for other carbs you may want to drop that day. Third, limit portions. So, if you just have a slice of mango, your sugar level may not go up. However, if you take one or two whole mangoes, it will go up. It is also a fact that the effect of fructose on blood glucose levels is dependent on your prevailing blood glucose level. Therefore, if your glucose levels and your HbA1c (average blood sugar counts of three months) readings are under control, it is unlikely that taking the fruits in moderation will increase your glucose level.
On the other hand, if you already have uncontrolled diabetes, then taking fruits can further worsen the situation. Since we have continuous glucose monitoring now, you can experiment by wearing a continuous glucose monitoring sensor and see which fruits increase your glucose level and which fruits do not increase the glucose level and accordingly choose your fruits.
Balancing the fruit intake with foods which help to slow the release of sugar like non-starchy vegetables or whole grains, can be helpful.People with diabetes should take fruits with lower glycemic index and restrict the intake to one or maximum two fruits per day.
(Dr Mohan is Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialty Centre, Chennai)
