Fighting Diabetes: Role of Vegetables, Fruits

Posted on June 23, 2008 by archies in Diabetes More Sharing Services

List of Good Fruits and Vegetables for Diabetics

Let us now understand the role of vegetables and fruits in fighting diabetes. Which vegetables, fruits help lower blood sugar while which ones should be avoided.

VEGETABLES: THE MORE THE BETTER

- Vegetables are low in calories, full of vitamins and minerals and are healthy. Some vegetables are rich sources of fiber too. - Garlic and onions are extremely beneficial vegetables that help reduce blood sugar. - Green leafy vegetables should form part of regular diet because it contains Manganese (an important ingredient of insulin). - Bitter gourd lowers blood and urine sugar levels. Diabetic patients can liberally use most vegetables because they contain negligible amounts of carbohydrates and calories. - Vegetables that can be consumed in larger quantities by diabetics are: Cabbage, celery, lettuce, fenugreek leaves, mint, spinach, amaranth, bitter gourd, ash gourd, eggplant, ladys finger, French beans, cauliflower, cucumber, drumstick, turnip, snake gourd, ridge gourd, radish, onion stalk and pumpkin. - There are other vegetables that contain carbohydrates and therefore have a high calorific value than leafy vegetables. - Vegetables that should be consumed in limited quantities by diabetics are: High sugar vegetables and root vegetables like carrot, potato, beetroot, colocasia, sweet potato, yam, tapioca and other vegetables like artichoke, green plantain, tender jackfruit, broad beans, double beans, cluster beans.

ARE FRUITS SAFE?

- Diabetics can eat fresh fruits though they contain starch and sugar. - Very few fruits contain carbohydrates more than 15 %.

- Most fresh fruit (especially juicy ones) contain a lot of water. - Of the little sugar present in fruits 50% comprises of glucose and nearly equal proportion of fructose. The calorie value of both glucose and fructose is similar. - However in a diabetic fructose has an advantage over glucose because it is well tolerated and does not require insulin for metabolism. - Diabetics therefore can consume fruits like any other normal person. - A diabetic can eat two fruits a day. - Each serving can comprise of 1 medium fruit or 115 grams chopped fruits or 170 milliliters juice. - Fruits also provide fiber, vitamins and minerals required for good health. - Vitamin C present in citrus fruits helps ward-off disease. - It also contains manganese that is an important ingredient of insulin.
comments

1.

Z
November 12, 2009 at 12:17 pm

Fruits a diabetic can have (in controlled quantity): Avocado, Cherries, Grapefruit, peaches, apples, jambul or jamun, watermelon, strawberries, papaya, plums, muskmelon Fruits to be avoided: mango, custard apple, chickoo, banana and grapes, dates, dry fruits 1.

PUP
March 25, 2010 at 7:47 am

Diabetes is high glucose level in the blood, with excretion of excess glucose in the urine. Apart from the regular medication some home remedies are beneficial to control the diabetes. And cluster beans are one of them. They are available throughout the year. - Cluster beans contain 90% of fibers, very useful in controlling diabetes. They have both, soluble as well as insoluble fibers. Soluble fiber helps in digestion. And insoluble help in excretion, and cure constipation.

- The fiber content helps in reducing the absorption of glucose in the small intestine. Due to this, there is less insulin requirement in the blood. - It also checks the cholesterol level in the blood. 2.

PUP
March 25, 2010 at 8:20 am

As diabetes is a chronic disease one has to choose right and balanced diet with medications. Right food helps to reduce blood sugar level in many cases. Carrots, beetroot, yam, sweet potatoes are root vegetable, they contain rich source of starch and sugar, so they have to be consumed in lesser quantity. Green leafy vegetables contain manganese; it is an important ingredient of insulin. Vegetables can be consumed liberally as they contain fewer calories, and more of vitamins, and minerals.

Fruits and Vegetables

"Eat your fruits and vegetables." You've likely heard this statement since childhood. Research shows why it is good advice:

Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

Did you know that of your plate each meal should be fruits and vegetables? To find out the amount of each food group you need to eat daily, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov .

Nutrient information for fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. This chart of Nutrition Information for Fruits and Vegetables provides examples of fruits and vegetables that are sources of specific nutrients.

Not sure how many fruits and vegetables you should be eating each day?

Visit the Fruit and Vegetable Calculator. Here you can calculate your fruit and vegetable recommendations based on your calorie needs for your age, sex, and activity level. This site also has helpful tips and photographs of 1/2 cup and 1 cup fruit and vegetable examples.

Curious as to whether fruits and vegetables can help you manage your weight? Take a look at this How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage your Weight brochure and learn about fruits and vegetables and their role in your weight management plan. Tips to cut calories by substituting fruits and vegetables are included with meal-by-meal examples. You will also find snack ideas that are 100 calories or less. With these helpful tips, you will soon be on your way to adding more fruits and vegetables into your healthy eating plan.

Food safety basics for fruits and vegetables

To prevent foodborne illness, review Food Safety Basics for Fruit and Vegetables. As you strive to meet your individual fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations, remember that proper handling and preparation can reduce the risk of food contamination and foodborne illness.

Diabetes Diet - Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I Still Have Some Sugar in my Diet? A: Yes. The diet for diabetes does not mean a sugar free diet. Sugar can be eaten as part of a balanced, healthy diet without having a harmful effect on blood glucose control. However, you should still try to cut down on sugary foods and drinks since eating them has implications for tooth decay, weight control and the overall balance of your diet. Blood glucose control depends on diabetes medication and lifestyle factors, such as how much activity you do as well as what you eat. As we are all different in terms of our nutritional needs, the limits are different too. Lots of foods contain sugar natural or added and it is the overall food choices you make, rather than just one food, that will determine whether you are eating a healthy diet. See also: Diabetic Diet Advice on Sugar Q: When I was first diagnosed I was told I could only have two egg-sized potatoes at my main meal. Is this still true? A: Starchy foods like potatoes, bread, cereals, rice and pasta should be the basis of all your meals. This is because these foods help you to keep your blood glucose levels steady. Try and choose wholemeal or wholewheat varieties where possible. Everyone with diabetes has individual dietary requirements, which is why it is important to get specific advice from a local dietitian. He or she will guide you on the amounts of different foods you should eat. Q: Which fruits contain the most sugar? A: People with diabetes can eat any kind of fruit, regardless of the sugar content. Everyone is encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Spreading the fruit you eat through the day will avoid a sudden rise in blood glucose levels. Although some fruits have a lower glycaemic index, which shows how foods affect blood glucose levels, the important thing is to increase the amount of fruit you eat, including a wide variety of different fruits.

Q: Is it true that I shouldnt eat bananas or grapes? A: No. All fruit and vegetables are extremely good for you. They are high in fibre, low in fat and packed with vitamins and minerals. Research has shown that eating more can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, some cancers and some gut problems. You should aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day: for example, three portions of fruit and two portions of vegetables or vice versa. Eating more fruit and vegetables also helps to improve the overall balance of the diet. Fruit is the perfect snack. One Portion of Fruit/Vegetables = one medium- sized fresh fruit (apple, pear, banana, etc) two small fruits (apricots, plums, kiwi fruit, etc) a cupful of berries or very small fruit (grapes, raspberries, etc) a bowlful of salad a large slice of a large fruit (melon, pineapple, etc) three serving spoons of tinned or stewed fruit half a serving spoon of dried fruit a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice three serving spoons of a small vegetable (sweetcorn, peas, etc) two serving spoons of green or root vegetables or pulses (beans, carrots, etc)

Q: Do I need to eat special diabetic foods? A: There is no need for anyone with diabetes to eat special diabetic foods like cookies, chocolate, jelly/jam or sweets. Instead you can eat ordinary chocolate, biscuits and jams as part of an overall balanced diet. The diabetic foods often cost a lot more, and tend to be just as high in fat and calories as ordinary products. They usually contain a bulk sweetener, such as fructose or sorbitol, which can have a laxative effect and make blood glucose levels rise. Diabetic foods are unnecessary and offer no special benefit to people with diabetes. Remember that all confectionery, cakes and cookies are high in fat and calories and need to be limited according to the individual. NOTE: We recommend that people with diabetes should see a state-registered dietitian locally for more specific advice about their individual targets and requirements. ----------------Q: Do I need to eat a special diet now that I have diabetes? A: No. The diet for diabetes is a balanced healthy diet, the same kind that is recommended for the rest of the population low in fat, sugar and salt, with plenty of fruit and vegetables and meals based on starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta and rice. ----------------Q: Ive been told that some fats are worse for you than others. Can you explain what the different types of fats are and which I need to avoid to stay healthy?

A: Everyone is encouraged to cut down on the amount of fat in their diets. This is because fatty foods contain a lot of calories, which can cause us to become overweight. Try to cut down on saturated fat in particular and replace it with monounsaturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat is related to heart disease. The different types of fat (saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) have different effects on cholesterol levels saturated fats put your cholesterol level up, whereas polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats actually help to lower cholesterol. Saturated fats are usually found in fatty meat, full fat dairy products, butter and lard Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil and canola/rapeseed oil products. There is also a wide range of margarine and low fat spreads based on monounsaturated fats Polyunsaturated fats include sunflower, corn oil and soya oil, some margarine and low fat spreads, and oily fish such as mackerel, pilchards or sardines. Q: How can I cut down on fat in my diet? A: Use less of your margarine or use a low fat spread instead. Avoid adding any extra fat or oil to foods when cooking. Broil, bake, microwave, steam or poach instead of frying. Limit the amount of cookies, cakes, pastries and potato chips that you eat even the low fat ones. Use lower fat dairy products such as skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, cottage cheese, low fat hard cheeses and yogurt. Try to choose leaner cuts of meat or trim all the visible fat off before cooking. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegetables and Fruits: Get Plenty Every Day

Table of contents

Introduction Vegetables, Fruits, and Chronic Disease Cardiovascular Disease Blood Pressure Cancer Gastrointestinal Health Vision The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Vegetable and Fruit Intake

References

Introduction
Eat your fruits and vegetables is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss. What does plenty mean? More than most Americans consume. If you dont count potatoeswhich should be considered a starch rather than a vegetablethe average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day (2 to 6 cups per day), depending on ones caloric intake. (1) For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4 cups per day (2 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables). For most fresh or cooked vegetables and fruits, 1 cup is just what you would put in a household measuring cup. There are two main exceptions to that rule: For lettuce and other raw leafy greens, you need to eat 2 cups to get the equivalent of 1 cup of vegetables. For dried fruit, you only need to eat cup to get the equivalent of 1 cup of fruit. Rememberon the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, potatoes are not counted as a vegetable, since they are mostly starch and should be used sparingly. Over the past 30 years or so, researchers have developed a solid base of science to back up what generations of mothers preached (but didnt always practice themselves). Early on, fruits and vegetables were acclaimed as cancer-fighting foods. In fact, the ubiquitous 5 A Day message (now quietly changing toFruits and Veggies: More Matters) seen in produce aisles, magazine ads, and schools was supported in part by the National Cancer

Institute. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Cardiovascular Disease

There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (2) Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (2) When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other longterm studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (3) and stroke, (4) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, its a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. (5)

This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hgas much as medications can achieve. More recently, a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (6)

Vegetables, Fruits, and Cancer

Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were casecontrol studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators. Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they dont rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. For example, in the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (2)

A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetablessuch as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like and fruits probably protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. (7) Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. (8) One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red huelycopenecould be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. (9) Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. (7) Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. (7) But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Gastrointestinal Health

One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. (10) The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis

(the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches). (11)

Vegetables, Fruits, and Vision

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common agingrelated eye diseasescataract and macular degenerationwhich afflict millions of Americans over age 65. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eyes lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks. Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetablessuch as spinach and kalecontain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye; these pigments are found in other brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, including corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes. (12) These two pigments appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eyes sensitive tissues. (13) In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration. (1417) Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem protective against cataract. (18)

The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Vegetable and Fruit Intake

Vegetables and fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat. Try these tips to fit more fruits and vegetables into your day:

Keep fruit out where you can see it. That way youll be more likely to eat it. Keep it out on the counter or in the front of the fridge. Get some every meal, every day. Try filling half your plate with vegetables or fruit at each meal. Serving up salads, stir fry, or other fruit and vegetable-rich fare makes it easier to reach this goal. Bonus points if you can get some fruits and vegetables at snack time, too. Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Get out of a rut and try some new fruits and vegetablesinclude dark green leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits. Bag the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbs. Make it a meal. Try some new recipes where vegetables take center stage, such as Tunisian carrot salad and spicy broccolini with red pepper.