Some people believe that fruits play a major part in the diabetes reversal diet. And some people are against the fact that fruits play a major role in the diabetes reversal diet. So today in this blog we will be talking about this controversy “Are fruits safe for diabetic patients”.
Which one is true? Should we eat fruits during diabetes or should we abandon fruits if we are diabetic?
What is the role of fruits in the diabetes reversal diet?
To know the role of fruits in the diabetes reversal diet, we need to go deep down into the fact. Food consists of 3 major nutritional components which are also known as macronutrients.
- Fat – converts into fatty acids in the body
- Protein – converts into amino acid in the body
- Carbohydrates – convert into sugar in the body
Three types of sugar are converted in the body
- Glucose – mainly obtained from grains and pulses
- Galactose – mainly obtained from milk, also known as milk sugar
- Fructose – mainly obtained from fruits, also known as fruit sugar
The mechanism of fruit breakdown and digestion in the body
When we eat fruit, the fructose gets into the body and releases sugar. This sugar immediately is transferred to the liver and body cells from the blood. Fructose does not require insulin to move to the body cells from blood whereas glucose requires insulin to move from the blood to cells. This is the reason why it is very easy for fructose to go into the liver from blood without the help of insulin.
The only machine that can break down the fructose is your liver. Other cells do not possess this machine to break down fructose. So, the maximum amount of fructose that is transferred from the blood is ultimately deposited in your liver.
After entering the liver, fructose converts into 4 different substances
- Glucose – almost 50% fructose converts into glucose in the liver cell. The excess amount of glucose is converted into fats.
- Glycogen – Glycogen is a storage form of energy but it has a limited amount of capacity.
- Lactate – Produces energy, but too much lactate is bad for your health.
- Triglycerides – The rest of the fructose transforms into triglycerides in the liver.
Why fruits are not good for diabetic patients?
When triglycerides and fats increase in your body, we can see that a large amount of fructose is converted into fats and this fat gets deposited in the liver cells. When an excess amount of fat starts developing in your liver it leads to a condition known as fatty liver.
The insulin is responsible for carrying the glucose from the blood and transferring it to the liver. But when your liver cells are already full of fat, how can the glucose be deposited in your liver? The liver cells are already full. As a result, the liver cells start developing resistance towards this insulin.
Now you know why fruits are not good if you are trying to control diabetes or if you are in the middle of a diabetes reversal diet. Fruits raise the blood sugar level of your body and increase the risk of worsening your diabetes condition. The high amount of fructose increases the resistance of insulin.
And as we know the diabetes reversal concept is the concept of insulin reversal. And any food product which increases insulin resistance is not at all suitable for diabetes reversal.
Why people suggest fruit during diabetes?
I strongly believe that the consumption of too many fruits in the diabetes reversal diet is not good for your health. But why people in the first place suggests fruit in diabetes?
It is strongly believed that when we eat fruit, it directly does not increase our blood sugar level. And those foods which do not increase our blood sugar level are considered safe during diabetes.
Let’s analyze this,
How is the blood test for measuring the glucose level in your body is done?
The blood sample is taken from your body and then mixed with a chemical in the laboratory. This chemical reacts with the glucose present in the blood sample and produces a colorful compound. Your glucose level is monitored by the intensity of this color.
- The lighter the color the less is your glucose level in the blood.
- The darker the color the more is your glucose level in the blood.
This method is also known as the estimation of glucose by the GOD-POD method.
But this method is used for the estimation of the glucose level in your blood. What about the fructose level in your blood? How do you measure that?
When we eat fruits it goes into the body and converts itself into fructose in the blood, and not glucose. Again the fructose that is present in the blood is transferred to the liver immediately without the help of insulin and most part of the fructose is converted into fats in the liver, leading to fatty liver.
Now you know how consuming fruits during diabetes not only increases the chances of fatty liver but also increases the resistance of insulin in your body.
Who should avoid fruits during diabetes?
There are three types of people who should avoid the consumption of fruits for diabetes.
1. Overweight people
People who are already overweight develop high insulin resistance in the body. They should stay away from fruits in diabetes as fruits further increase the insulin resistance level.
2. High triglycerides
People who already have high triglycerides levels in the body should stay away from fruits in the diabetes condition. We have already seen how high fructose can lead to high triglycerides levels in the body.
3. Fatty liver
People who have already developed the condition of fatty liver should stay away from fruits. We have already discussed how fructose increases the fat level in your liver during the process of fructose metabolism.
Conclusion
In my opinion, too much consumption of fruits during the diabetes reversal diet is not at all good. So try ignoring fruits if you are diabetic or even if you are consuming fruits try to keep the number low. Don’t forget to consult your doctor.
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