KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Watermelon has a sweet taste and is rich in water. Is it safe for people with diabetes to eat watermelon?
Diabetics must be careful when choosing the food they want to eat. This is important to do so that blood sugar is controlled and avoid complications of the disease.
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Quoting from Medical News Today, a diet high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial for controlling blood sugar.
You need to remember, fruit contains natural sugars and carbohydrates, so it is important to adjust the portion of consumption.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises that there is no single distribution of macronutrients consisting of fat, protein, carbohydrates, that works for everyone.
The health team and nutritionist need to create an individual plan that takes into account a person’s goals and overall health.
Watermelon and diabetes
The Glycemic Index (GI) plays an important role in determining how quickly a food affects blood sugar levels.
The GI measures how quickly sugar from food enters the bloodstream. The faster this process, the more likely a person will experience a spike in blood sugar.
The GI system assigns each food a score of 0 to 100. The higher the number, the faster the sugar enters the bloodstream.
Watermelon has a GI of around 72. The Defeat Diabetes Foundation points out that due to the high percentage of water in the fruit, watermelon has a low glycemic load of 5 per 120 grams.
They suggest avoiding consumption of watermelon juice as it has a much higher glycemic content.
Diabetics can combine watermelon consumption with foods rich in healthy fats, fiber, and protein such as nuts or seeds.
This combination of nutrients can help you feel full for longer and slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
Watermelon content
Watermelon contains many vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B1, B6, C, potassium, magnesium, fiber, iron, calcium, and lycopene.
The value of sugar content in watermelon
Watermelon is rich in water and high in sugar. In 286 grams of watermelon contains about 17.7 grams of sugar.
The best way to consume watermelon for people with type II diabetes
If watermelon is added to your diet, you must balance it with nutritious fat and protein.
Fats and proteins help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
This can help patients with type II diabetes control their sugar levels.
Watermelon is best consumed without added sugar and in its whole form. Another option, you can include watermelon in the fruit salad menu with reasonable portion notes.
You should not pair watermelon with foods that have a high GI.
The Defeat Diabetes Foundation advises avoiding watermelon juice as it has a higher glycemic load than whole watermelons.
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