Strawberries may be included in a diabetic diet and may possibly give unique health advantages to diabetics. While doctors in the past may have encouraged patients to avoid eating too many sweet foods, including fruit, the American Diabetes Association’s current guidelines do not exclude any item entirely.
Can I eat strawberries?
Even if you have diabetes, you may enjoy sweet delicacies such as cake, cookies, and ice cream. However, moderation is essential for avoiding blood sugar increases.
Strawberries are not only tasty and refreshing, but they are also the ideal treatment due to their sweetness, which may fulfill your sweet craving.
Eat-in moderation
Be wary of recipes that appear to be healthier than they are just because they contain strawberries.
Strawberries are used as a topping in several desserts, such as pies and cheesecakes. However, many of these sweets aren’t exactly diabetes-friendly, as their high sugar content may trigger blood sugar spikes.
Diabetes and Fruit
Many diabetics avoid fruit because they believe it is heavy in sugar and hence likely to boost their blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association, on the other hand, recommends diabetics incorporate fruit in their diets since fruits, especially strawberries, offer important vitamins and minerals for optimum health. Strawberries have a high fiber and water content, which reduces the overall percentage of sugar when measured by weight. Strawberries include around 11 grams of carbs per cup, including 3 grams of fiber, which is a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates when compared to many other fruits. Instead of avoiding strawberries, diabetics could incorporate them into a well-balanced diet and count the fruit as one of their allotted carbs.
Strawberries and Blood Sugar
Consuming strawberries and other berries may lessen the body’s total glucose response after a meal, according to a study published in the April 2010 issue of “The British Journal of Nutrition.” Instead of a quick spike in blood glucose, study participants observed a delayed rise in blood glucose after eating a meal containing berry puree vs a meal without berries. Because frequent rapid rises in blood sugar can lead to diabetic consequences such as nerve damage, cardiovascular difficulties, and renal failure, maintaining blood glucose levels as stable as possible is an important objective of diabetes diets.
Strawberries and Diabetes Complications
Strawberries may also assist diabetics by lowering the risk of diabetes complications. In fact, animal studies published in the journal “PLoS ONE” in June 2011 found that a chemical found in strawberries may assist diabetics to minimize their risk of kidney failure. The chemical fisetin was also found to improve cognitive difficulties, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic neuropathy in mice designed to have Type 1 diabetes.
Antioxidant Benefits
Strawberries are high in antioxidants, which are natural substances present in varying concentrations in fruits and vegetables that help prevent chronic illnesses. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most antioxidant-rich foods in the diet. According to research published in PLOS Medicine in April 2017, a diet rich in fruits, such as strawberries, may prevent you from diabetes. According to the seven-year prospective study, a diet heavy in fresh fruit is associated with a much-decreased risk of getting diabetes. A diet heavy in fresh fruit also decreases the chance of mortality from heart disease complications in patients with diabetes, according to the study.
Conclusion
You may simply substitute strawberries for part of your fruit portions to benefit from their healthful carbs and antioxidants, but have a range of fruits on hand to vary your nutritional intake. Strawberries can be added to oatmeal or yogurt in the morning or to a chicken salad at lunch. Strawberry slices combined with cottage cheese make an excellent high-protein, low-glycemic snack. Strawberries covered in the dark chocolate form a sophisticated diabetic-friendly dessert that will satisfy your sweet craving without having a negative influence on your blood sugar levels.
