Should You Eat Bananas If You’re Diabetic?
Diabetics have to be careful about what they eat, and too many carbs or high glycemic index foods are usually a no-no. On the other hand, fresh fruit and vegetables are supposed to have a beneficial effect on the condition. So where does that leave you when it comes to fruit like the humble banana? When you have Type-2 diabetes, your body can’t produce adequate insulin, causing glucose to get pulled out of the blood for storage in cells. As a result, your sugar levels go through dips and spikes. This means your diet has a vital role to play in helping regulate the sugar levels. Very high glycemic foods can exaggerate the spikes and the sudden dips after the sugar is burnt through quickly. What’s In A Banana? Bananas are a rich source of dietary fiber as well as vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium, making them a great healthy snack or ingredient in a meal. While the B6 keeps you in a good mood, vitamin C does wonders for your immune system, potassium helps regulate blood pressure, and the fiber keeps you feeling satiated for longer. One study even indicated that native banana starch (24 g per day) could be beneficial for increasing insulin sensitivity and may help lower body weight in obese Type-2 diabetics.1 It is no wonder then that they are also one of the most popular fresh fruits in the United States.2 What diabetics need to keep in mind though, is that bananas also contain carbohydrates and this must be factored in when planning your meals for the day. Diabetics Can Have Bananas Too The American Diabetes Association encourages the consumption of fruit by diabetics and says eating bananas as part of a healthy diet is absolutely okay.3 In fact, one study showed that a banana is actually among the best whole fruit (along with blueberries and grapefruit) you can h Continue reading >>
Can A Diabetic Eat Bananas
Even diabetics should eat at least two servings of fruit per day, and bananas are one healthful way of filling that requirement. One extra-small banana contains 8 percent of the daily value for potassium, a mineral that can help you control your blood pressure. It also provides you with 2 grams of fiber and 12 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. As long as you're careful to eat them with meals, and account for their carbohydrate content in your daily meal plan, they can remain a part of your diet. Carbohydrate Counting The recommended serving size for bananas for diabetics is one extra-small banana, which is a banana that is no more than 6 inches long. A banana of this size contains 19 grams of carbohydrates, which is about a third of the 45 grams to 60 grams of carbohydrates most diabetics can consume in each meal. Glycemic Index Foods that are low on the glycemic index cause less of a rise in blood sugar levels than foods that are higher on the glycemic index. A banana that is a bit green is lower on the glycemic index than a riper banana. If you eat a banana, which is a medium glycemic index food, eat it along with foods that are low on the glycemic index or with foods that contain little or no carbohydrate, as this will help keep your blood sugar from spiking. Foods low on the glycemic index include nuts, non-starchy vegetables and beans. Meat, fish, poultry, cheese and eggs are examples of foods that contain very little carbohydrate. Fruits that have a lower glycemic index include raw apples, cherries and grapefruit, and those that have a higher glycemic index include dried dates and watermelon. Create Your Plate The American Diabetes Association's Create Your Plate method allows you to control your blood sugar without worrying about counting carbohydrates. Y Continue reading >>
Are Bananas Safe In Diabetes?
Bananas are considered healthy fruits, but the amount of sugar in bananas can be worrying to some people, particularly those with diabetes. As diabetic patients need to monitor their blood sugar levels carefully, eating an excess of many types of food can be dangerous. If you love these potassium-packed fruits, but also need to monitor your glucose levels, it is important to understand the risks. How Bananas affect Diabetes & Blood Sugar Levels? Bananas are excellent sources of certain nutrients, including potassium, sugar, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, manganese, and protein, among others. When it comes to diabetes and blood sugar levels, the amount of sugar in bananas is the main focus. A medium-sized banana can have approximately 30 grams of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose and other sugars in the body, which can cause a rise in the blood sugar. In healthy individuals, that rise would be mitigated and controlled by insulin, a hormone that is produced in the pancreas. However, in someone with diabetes, the pancreas either cannot make the proper amount of insulin, or the body cannot use the insulin that is created (insulin sensitivity). Therefore, when carbohydrates are consumed, particularly those made up of simple sugars, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. Thus, when someone eats a banana, their blood sugar will have a tendency to rise. Carbohydrates are an essential part of any diet, in moderation, so bananas are not inherently bad to eat, even for someone with diabetes. That being said, bananas also contain dietary fiber – a different type of carbohydrate that can actually help to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. With approximately 6 grams of starch per medium-sized banana, some of the blood sugar problems caused by the sugar wi Continue reading >>
Bananas For Diabetes: Good Or Bad?
Bananas for diabetes. Are you curious to know whether they are a good or bad fruit to include in your diet? Glad you asked. Because while eating bananas are commonly thought of as being a “healthy,” when you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, there's a bit more to the story. Let's explore bananas together now. JUMP TO: Bananas as a common fruit | Nutrition facts | The downfalls of fructose | Green vs. ripe bananas | Glycemic index | Potassium sources comparison | Conclusion Bananas: a popular common fruit As we all know, bananas are a popular fruit, well known for their bright yellow peel and unique boomerang shape. People from all across the world consume bananas. And as suggested above, bananas are often considered a health food because they are relatively low in calories and rich in minerals like potassium, plus they’re an easy snack to grab on the go. Still, while they may provide various health benefits for the general population, the question still remains: are they really a healthy choice for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes? To find out, let’s start by taking a peek at the nutrition facts. Banana Nutrition Facts For one medium-sized ripe banana: Calories: 105 Total carbohydrates: 26.9g Protein: 1.20g Fat: 0.39g Fiber: 3.1g With only about 1 gram of protein and less than a gram of fat, it’s pretty easy to see that the dominant macronutrient in a banana is… carbohydrates. The carbohydrate content of one medium banana is a whopping 26.9 grams (beware of the oncoming blood sugar spikes)! Foods with a higher carb count can sometimes be “balanced out” if they also contain a high amount of dietary fiber, which reduces the overall net carbs of a food (the available carbs for digestion). But unfortunately, bananas aren’t rich in fiber. Just Continue reading >>
Banana Good Or Bad | Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community I have an age old habit of having 1-2 bananas in breakfast. Now that I have been diagnosed with Type-2, is it advisable to continue with this habit? I have banana has lots of carbs and is not good but many people say it is healthy to eat banana even as a diabetic. I have an age old habit of having 1-2 bananas in breakfast. Now that I have been diagnosed with Type-2, is it advisable to continue with this habit? I have banana has lots of carbs and is not good but many people say it is healthy to eat banana even as a diabetic. Our ears must of been burning as I'm interested in knowing if I can continue to eat Bananas, as I enjoy Toasted Wholemeal Bread with a Banana on it, as an alternative to porridge on some mornings. So after seeing the add advising us not to eat bananas, I became concerned and decided to ask why there not recomended, but you beat me to it, so I hope we get a response soon. Just googled that banana has 92% carb- one medium banana has 27g carb so i guess having 2 in the morning will leave little budget for carb for the rest of the day..and god knows what will happen to the blood sugar level with such a high dump of carb So I guess there is more to it than I am getting, i will have to get rid of bananas VinnyJames Type 2 (in remission!) Well-Known Member Some will say that bananas are the devils work but I love them. I wouldn't eat them every day but I have one occasionally and usually just before I hit the gym so I can work off the carbs that way. I think most of us would consider bananas a no-no. The best way to find out for sure is to test before and after eating them to see how you personally are with them. But as you say, 2 nanas i Continue reading >>
Fruit For Diabetes – Is There A Best Or Worst Fruit?
Fruit gets an unfair bad rap and is often feared to spike up the blood sugars among people with diabetes. But does all the worry around fruit for diabetes really have any truth? We look at three common fruit myths to bust. 1. Banana / Durian / Grape / Watermelon is bad for people with diabetes. There is a “best” or “worst” fruit for diabetes MYTH Many people avoid certain fruits in diabetes because they taste sweeter and believe they are higher in sugar. That is not entirely true. Fruit is a healthy food. It contains fibre, lots of vitamins and antioxidants. Regardless of the sweetness level, all fruits contain carbohydrates naturally, and a variety of fruits should be included as part of your meal plan. The key is to stick to the right portion sizes. Generally, we recommend to aim for two portions of fruit a day, at separate times of the day. For more details on portion sizes, head to Jasmine’s blog post. Another thing to consider that’s not as important as portion size, but may be helpful to optimising blood sugars, is the glycemic index (GI). Most fruits have a low GI because of their fructose and fibre which means the sugar is released slower into the blood. Melons and pineapple have medium GI values as do dried fruits like dates and raisins; a few are high GI including rockmelon and watermelon. Some fruits also tend to be lower in carbohydrates for the same portion size, like berries or guava. The advantage of eating a low-carbohydrate fruit is that you can take a larger portion to make up the 15g carbohydrate serving size. But there is no best or worst fruit for diabetes, all fruits are healthful in their own way and provide unique benefits, so enjoy a rainbow! (click and drag on the text to tweet this/share on Facebook) Let’s look closer at each fru Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Bananas?
When a person has diabetes, they need to carefully consider the contents of each meal. This can be especially true for carbohydrate-containing food, which not only includes desserts and other sweet treats, but bread, pasta, and fresh fruits. One fruit that traditionally has been on the "avoid" list for those with diabetes is bananas. However, for the most part, bananas eaten in moderation can be safely enjoyed when a person has diabetes. Bananas grow on banana plants that can have anywhere from 50 to 150 bananas in each bunch of fruit. The individual bananas are sold in varying sizes, from small to extra-large, the size-grading being determined by their length. Nutritional breakdown Overall, bananas are low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. They also have a good mix of nutrients, including vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese. However, some doctors and dietitians may give bananas greater nutritional scrutiny when considering them for people with diabetes, because bananas are high in sugar relative to their calories. One medium banana has an estimated glycemic load of 11, according to Harvard Health Publishing on glycemic loads. Glycemic load is a measure of a food's impact on blood sugar. A glycemic load of fewer than 10 is considered low, while one above 20 is high. Can you eat bananas if you have diabetes? Examples of lower-sugar fruit options include apples, grapes, and pears. Fruits with higher sugar levels include papayas and pineapples. However, those with diabetes do not have to eliminate bananas from their diet, or any other fruit for that matter. Their other nutritional values in terms of vitamins and minerals can make them a healthy option for those with diabetes when consumed in moderation. The American Diabetes Association recommend incorporating fr Continue reading >>
How Bananas Affect Diabetes And Blood Sugar Levels
When you have diabetes, it is important to keep blood sugar levels as stable as possible. Good blood sugar control can help prevent or slow the progression of some of the main medical complications of diabetes (1, 2). For this reason, avoiding or minimizing foods that cause big blood sugar spikes is essential. Despite being a healthy fruit, bananas are pretty high in both carbs and sugar, the main nutrients that raise blood sugar levels. So, should you be eating bananas if you have diabetes? How do they affect your blood sugar? If you have diabetes, being aware of the amount and type of carbs in your diet is important. This is because carbs raise your blood sugar level more than other nutrients, which means they can greatly affect your blood sugar control. When blood sugar rises in non-diabetic people, the body produces insulin. It helps the body move sugar out of the blood and into the cells where it's used or stored. However, this process doesn't work as it should in diabetics. Instead, either the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the cells are resistant to the insulin that is made. If not managed properly, this can result in high-carb foods causing big blood sugar spikes or constantly high blood sugar levels, both of which are bad for your health. 93% of the calories in bananas come from carbs. These carbs are in the form of sugar, starch and fiber (3). A single medium-sized banana contains 14 grams of sugar and 6 grams of starch (3). Bananas are high in carbs, which cause blood sugar levels to rise more than other nutrients. In addition to starch and sugar, a medium-sized banana contains 3 grams of fiber. Everyone, including diabetics, should eat adequate amounts of dietary fiber due to its potential health benefits. However, fiber is especially important for p Continue reading >>
Can I Eat Bananas If I Have Diabetes?
Knowledge is power. But, it can be dangerous too. The wrong kind of knowledge, I mean. The wrong information – when you think something is true, but, in fact, the truth lies elsewhere. Like the case of bananas and diabetes – can diabetics eat bananas? A case of gross misinterpretation and lack of proper knowledge. But worry not, we are here to take care of that. Banana – A Brief A fruit so ‘everyday’ (and delicious) that there wouldn’t be a soul that doesn’t like it. Botanically speaking, banana is a berry. In certain nations, the bananas that are used for cooking are called plantains. Usually elongated and curved, the soft flesh is rich in starch and is covered with a rind that can be yellow, green or brownish-red. Banana is grown in over 135 countries worldwide. The fruit is also cultivated for its fiber, banana wine, and banana beer. There is no distinct difference between bananas and plantains, except that plantains tend to be a little firmer and starchier. Yes, banana is a lip-smacking fruit that improves any dish that you add it to. It has superb benefits and helps prevent numerous diseases. But… …is that the case with diabetes too? Let’s find out. Diabetes And Bananas – The Connection Why bananas? The fruit is considered to be one of the healthiest and most potent. What does it have to do anything with diabetes? Why the link? Let’s have a glance at diabetes – it is a condition where your body cannot efficiently use the insulin that it produces. This ultimately leads to the accumulation of glucose in your blood, resulting in high blood sugar. And now, for the link – the average banana contains about 30 grams of carbohydrates. And most of these carbs come from sugars. Hence, the connection. The larger the banana, the more the sugars. So, Continue reading >>
9 Foods To Avoid When You Have Type 2 Diabetes
1 / 10 Know What to Avoid Diabetes requires daily maintenance, including monitoring your blood sugar, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and of course staying on top of any complications with your heart, eyes, and other organs. Controlling your weight is another key aspect of managing type 2 diabetes. If you’re overweight, losing some weight — even just 10 to 15 pounds — can help improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control, reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and lower your blood pressure. A healthy diet for diabetes will help you manage your weight and lead you toward foods that have a positive effect on your glucose levels, while guiding you away from those foods that are likely to cause dangerous spikes in your blood sugar. Learn which nine foods you should steer clear of if you have type 2 diabetes. Continue reading >>
Can A Diabetic Eat Bananas?
If you have diabetes, you may have heard that bananas are too sweet or too high in sugar to fit into your diet. This common belief is related to the fact that bananas are high in carbohydrates, which the body converts into sugar, and because they are rumored to have a high glycemic index, a measure of a food’s impact on blood sugar levels. However, bananas actually have a low glycemic index and are a nutritious food that can be an asset to a healthy diet. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends fruit be included in a diabetes meal plan. As with any fruit, bananas can fit as long as the carbohydrates are factored into the plan. Video of the Day Carbohydrates converted to glucose during digestion, and with the help of insulin, glucose provides energy and fuels your cells for action. However, people with diabetes either have sluggish insulin, or don’t make enough insulin, and as a result, have high levels of glucose circulating in the blood. To best manage blood sugar or blood glucose levels, it’s helpful to eat moderate portions of carbohydrate-containing foods and to spread these foods throughout the day. Fruit contains carbohydrate, and a medium banana contains about 30 grams of carbohydrate -- the same as a sandwich made of 2 slices of bread. If you know your carbohydrate goals, you can decide which carbohydrate foods to eat at your meals and snacks. For example, if your goal is 45 grams per meal, and you want to eat a banana with your sandwich at lunch, you can either eat a whole sandwich at 30 grams plus one-half banana at 15 grams, or you can choose to eat one-half of the sandwich so you can eat the whole banana. In addition to being a carbohydrate-rich fruit, bananas are often rumored to have a high glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of a food Continue reading >>
Five Diabetes Myths, Busted
David Kendall, M.D., is the chief scientific and medical officer of the The American Diabetes Association. The group’s 71st Scientific Sessions begin Friday in San Diego, California, with presentations of the latest research, treatment recommendations and advances toward a cure for diabetes. Each year diabetes accounts for more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined. While diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) is ever more manageable because of advances in medication, a better understanding of blood glucose monitoring and new technologies for delivering insulin, uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes still remains the leading cause of blindness in adults, kidney failure and amputation. There are many myths about diabetes - myths that can do much harm. Many believe that diabetes is “just a touch of sugar,” or only something we develop in later life. Although diabetes is manageable, the diabetes epidemic continues to grow; every 17 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes and at the current rate, one in three people in the U.S. will have diabetes by the year 2050. Knowing the facts (and your own risk) can help all of us fight the misconceptions associated with this awful disease and ultimately stop diabetes. So take a minute to learn the facts about diabetes. The more we know, the better equipped we are to detect, prevent and treat diabetes and its deadly complications. 1) Myth: Diabetes is really no big deal. Fact: As I’ve already noted, diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. The risk of heart problems is more than twice as high in people with diabetes and two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to a host of other complications. 2) Myth: Eating too much sugar cause Continue reading >>
Fruit And Diabetes
Everyone should be eating more fruit and vegetables. You're probably aware of the five a day target, and this is equally important if you’re living with diabetes or if you’re not. You might think you think that the sugar content of fruit means that you can’t eat it. But, the sugar in fruit is natural, and is not this type of sugar we need to cut down on. This is different to the added sugar in drinks, chocolate, cakes and biscuits, as well as in fruit juices and honey. The amount of carbohydrate you eat has the biggest effect on your blood glucose levels and considering a portion of fruit contains about 15–20g carbs, a chocolate muffin has 55g carbs and a small bar of chocolate has 30g carbs it is better to reduce your intake of the chocolate, cakes and other snacks than the fruit itself to help manage your blood glucose levels. It is very unlikely that you need to reduce your fruit intake but you could keep a food diary to check how often and how much fruit you are eating. Some people find that it is easy to overdo the dried fruit, grapes and tropical fruits. If you consider a serving of dried fruit is a tablespoon and packs in 20.8g carbs, 20.8g total sugar and 82 calories you can see how easily this happens. An apple on the other hand, which takes a while to eat, contains only 11.8g carbs, 11.8g sugar and 47 calories. Be mindful of your serving sizes too – bananas in supermarkets now seem to be supersize with a large banana containing 27.8g carbs, 25.1g sugar and 114 calories. But, most people need to cut down on foods with added sugars rather than fruit – a large banana is still better for you than a a standard chocolate bar, which contains 27.9g carbohydrate, 27.8g sugars and a staggering 260 calories. Why do I need to be careful about fruit juices and Continue reading >>
8 Best Fruits For A Diabetes-friendly Diet
1 / 9 What Fruit Is Good for High Blood Sugar? When you're looking for a diabetes-friendly treat that can help keep your blood sugar within a healthy range, look no farther than the produce drawer of your refrigerator or the fruit basket on your kitchen table. Believe it or not, the notion that fruit is not safe when you need to watch your A1C is a popular diabetes myth that has been debunked again and again. Indeed, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), many types of fruit are loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber — a powerful nutrient that can help regulate blood sugar levels and decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Fiber — which can also be found in some of the best vegetables for diabetes, as well as whole grains — can further benefit your health because it promotes feelings of fullness, curbing unhealthy cravings and overeating, research shows. Healthy weight maintenance can increase your insulin sensitivity and help in your diabetes management. So, how do you pick the best fruit for diabetes? While some forms of fruit, like juice, can be bad for diabetes, whole fruits like berries, citrus, apricots, and yes, even apples — can be good for your A1C and overall health, fighting inflammation, normalizing your blood pressure, and more. But as with any food in your diabetes diet, you have to be smart about counting carbohydrates and tracking what you eat. Portion size is key. Consume fruit in its whole, natural form, and avoid syrups or any processed fruits with added sugar, which have the tendency to spike your blood sugar. Stick to the produce aisle and the freezer section of your grocery store. If you're using the glycemic index (GI) or glycemic Continue reading >>
Green Bananas: A Diabetes-friendly Snack
(Content Updated 3/23/2017) By Joy Stephenson-Laws and the pH health care professionals Bananas are one of the most popular fruits around. In fact, they seem to be America’s favorite fruit, according to the USDA. The average American eats 27 pounds of bananas a year, and it’s no wonder! They’re high in potassium, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins B6 and C. But what you may not know about bananas is that you don’t have to wait for them to turn yellow to enjoy them. In fact, there may be benefits of eating them green that you don’t get when they’re ripe. Both green and yellow bananas have their own perks, but people who have diabetes should lean toward the green ones. What are the benefits of green bananas for a person with diabetes? You may have noticed that bananas get sweeter as they ripen. This is because the bananas’ chemical composition changes through the ripening process, turning from starch to sugar. This means the green, unripe bananas have much less sugar than the fully ripe bananas. Additionally, recent research shows resistant starch, found in green bananas, may improve insulin sensitivity. Resistant starch is a type of starch that “resists” digestion, thereby acting like fiber and making you feel full longer. However, when it is cooked, most of the starch in a green banana becomes highly digestible and is no longer “resistant.” Resistant starch has also shown promise for being a natural weight loss tool. However, if you’re like the average American, you probably don’t get nearly enough resistant starch in your diet. A typical Western diet contains highly digestible starches that have a high glycemic index. Foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals and breads are low in resistant starch. Cooked legumes, peas and green bananas Continue reading >>
