Grapes are one of the most popular fruits on the planet thanks to their varieties, flavor, texture, and portability. They provide numerous health benefits most of which are supported by scientific studies.
They are related to the prevention of heart disease, constipation, high blood pressure, and even cancer thanks to their rich content of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.
What’s more, they provide powerful anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties.
However, are they good for people with diabetes? What is their effect on blood sugar and how much is safe to eat for these people?
Here’s everything you need to know about grapes and diabetes.
Grapes and Diabetes
All fruits contain fructose and glucose, but this doesn’t mean that a person with diabetes should avoid them completely. On the contrary, they should consume fruits in moderate amounts as they provide numerous health benefits, but on the recommendation of a dietician or doctor.
Fruits are an important part of the meal plan of people with diabetes, including grapes. Besides containing naturally occurring sugars, red grapes also have a high content of fiber which slows down the absorption of nutrients in your body.
This, in turn, prevents the occurrence of spikes in your blood glucose. Fibers don’t raise your blood sugar, unlike carbs and sugars.
How Much to Eat
Red and black grapes have high Diabetes Talk which is why the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends them for people with diabetes. You can have about 3 servings per day, which equals 1 serving with each meal.
There are only 52 calories and 11.69 gr of sugar in ½ a cup of red grapes. However, 5.43 gr of this amount is glucose, 0.11 gr is sucrose, and 6.14 gr is fructose. Also, they have a considerable amount of fiber which can be helpful for your overall health.
Furthermore, the ADA recommends eating green grapes for those with diabetes as they contain more fiber than black and red grapes. What’s more, green grapes are high in potassium, vitamins C and K, and polyphenols. Being incredibly rich in antioxidants makes them perfect for people with diabetes.
The best way to have grapes is to have a portion of mixed red, black, and green grapes with each meal.
Even though there’s no link between blood sugar and grapes, they don’t increase blood sugar levels which makes them safe for diabetics.
Type 1 Diabetes
A recent experiment showed that eating grapes in small quantities can slow down the progression of this type of diabetes. Researchers added grape powder to all meals of the participants with type 1 diabetes.
The results showed that all of them had improved life quality due to the significant decline in their diabetes. What’s more, they remained healthier and lived longer than the participants from the opposite group.
You can add the freeze-dried grape powder to your meals. It is available on prescription as well as commercially. It was proven that those who consume this powder regularly have healthier pancreass than those who don’t.
Type 2 Diabetes
A lot of studies show that grapes can control insulin resistance and reduce blood pressure. This, in turn, helps with type 2 diabetes management. By these facts, researchers have concluded that there’s a positive link between grapes and this type of diabetes.
Some studies say this fruit can help prevent insulin resistance. So, consuming grapes can reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes in those prone to developing the disease.
Also, eating grapes can reduce insulin resistance and control blood glucose in those who already have this type of diabetes. This helps prevent different diabetes complications like vision loss, heart disease, kidney disease, etc.
One Healthify Me showed that grapes can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Researchers gave the participants a powdered form of red, green, and black grapes all mixed as part of their diet.
After 3 months, all of them had reduced blood pressure, inflammation in the heart and the blood, and improved heart function. Also, the animals had improved glucose tolerance and lower triglyceride levels. What’s more, they had no change in their body weight.
Therefore, researchers concluded that a grape-enriched diet could affect the development of metabolic syndrome and heart disease, as well as the risk factors that come with it.
Gestational Diabetes
For those with gestational diabetes, red grapes are not a healthy option, especially when eaten in large amounts. However, they shouldn’t avoid them completely but rather combine them with other fruits such as beets and raspberries.
Pregnant women, especially overweight or with a risky pregnancy, should avoid red grapes as they are high in carbs.
Although researchers haven’t established a connection between grapes and this type of diabetes, their high content of carbs could raise the risk of developing gestational diabetes. What’s more, they might even increase the complications caused by gestational diabetes.
The gestational diabetes meal plan allows 12-15 medium grapes a day, and nothing more. The best way to have them is a combination of green, red, and black grapes.
Source Diet Health Club | Telegraph | Medical News Today | Diabetes Talk
