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Healthy Diet Plans >>  Diabetic Diet >>  Grapes

Grapes for Diabetes


Grapes are considered healthy foods for a lot of reasons. They are considered a health food because they are rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients. Fruits are high in glucose and fructose, but should still be a part of the diabetic diet for the many benefits they offer to your body. Since fruits can upset the balance of glucose levels in your blood, they should be consumed in small or controlled quantities only on the recommendation of your doctor or a dietician.

Fruits are an important part of the diabetic meal plan. Red grapes have naturally occurring sugars, but they also contain good amounts of fiber, which prevent your body form absorbing the nutrients form grapes too quickly.

This ultimately prevents your blood glucose levels from spiking suddenly. Unlike sugars and carbohydrates, fibers do not cause an increase in the blood sugar levels.
Doctors recommend grapes for diabetes. You can simply consume about three servings of grapes every day. This amounts to one serving of grapes with each meal. The American Diabetes Association recommends red and black grapes for diabetics owing to their high nutritional content.

Half a cup of red grapes for diabetics contain only 52 calories. This serving of red grapes also contains about 11.69 grams of sugar. Of this, 0.11 grams is sucrose, 5.43 grams glucose, and 6.14 grams of fructose. These also contain a small amount of fiber that can help your health.

Diabetics Associations also recommend consuming green grapes for diabetics. Green grapes have higher levels of fiber than red or black grapes. They are also rich in vitamin C and K, potassium, and polyphenols. They also contain antioxidants that are excellent for diabetics. There is no relationship between grapes and blood sugar. However, since they do not cause a spike in your blood glucose levels, they are not really harmful for you even if you have diabetes. The ideal way to consume grapes is to mix together green, black and red grapes and have a portion of this with each meal. More on benefits of grapes

Gestational Diabetes

Red grapes are not a very good choice for diabetics, especially when they are consumed in large quantities. The ideal thing to do is to consume several different fruits of which grapes are also a part. Try and mix grapes with fruits that have lower sugars and more carbohydrates. You can add the grapes with raspberries and beetroots, and consume them to get the best benefits from these fruits.

Since grapes do contain large amounts of carbohydrates, they should ideally be avoided during pregnancy, especially if you are overweight or have a risky pregnancy. There is no relationship between grapes and gestational diabetes, but since grapes contain large amounts of carbohydrates, they may increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. They can also increase the side effects caused due to gestational diabetes.

Twelve to fifteen medium-sized grapes can be consumed throughout the day as part of a gestational diabetes plan. However, doctors do not recommend consuming more grapes than this. Just like in type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the best way to consume grapes for gestational diabetes is to mix together red, black and green grapes.

Type 1 Diabetes

For a long time, scientists could not establish a relationship between grapes and type 1 diabetes. However, in the recent past, scientists have discovered that consuming small quantities of grapes can in fact slow down the progression of type 1 diabetes. For the experiment, the doctors used grape powder in all the meals of the experimental group. It was seen that type 1 diabetes in subjects in the experimental group declined steadily and the subjects had higher quality of life. They also lived longer and remained healthier.

You can get freeze dried grape powder and add it to all your meals. This powder is available commercially and can be used on the prescription and recommendation of a physician. The pancreas remains healthier in those who consume grape powder regularly.

Type 2 Diabetes

Numerous studies have shown that grapes can lower blood pressure and control insulin resistance. This allows grapes to help you deal with type 2 diabetes. Based on these conclusions, scientists have been able to establish a positive relationship between grapes and type 2 diabetes.

Recent studies have also claimed that grapes can help prevent insulin resistance. So for men and women who are at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, consuming grapes can lower the risk considerably. Those who are already suffering from type 2 diabetes may also benefit from consuming grapes as it can lower your insulin resistance and help stabilize the blood sugar levels successfully. This will help prevent the risk of developing various kinds of diabetes side effects.

Submitted on January 16, 2014