Have
you eaten fresh fruits today? Not only it will keep diabetes at bay but also
reduce its complications in diabetic people and reduce the risk of death.
What is diabetes?
Type
2 diabetes mellitus which accounts for 90% of all diabetes cases - affects
millions of people worldwide. With the ageing of the world’s population, diminishing
physical activity and added obesity, the incidence of type2 diabetes is rising
at alarming rates. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that there
are more than 382 million people with diabetes worldwide, and this number is
likely to increase by 55% by 2035.
In
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) the body stops producing insulin or produces too little
insulin to regulate blood glucose level while in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) although
the pancreas still secretes insulin, the body of someone with type 2 diabetes
is partially or completely incapable of responding to insulin. This is often
mentioned as insulin resistance. The pancreas tries to overcome this resistance
by secreting more and more insulin. People with insulin resistance develop type2
diabetes when they fail to secrete enough insulin to cope with their body's
demands.
What does the researchers suggest?
In
a research published in PLOS Medicine, it is found that the consumption of
fresh fruit was associated with a lower incidence of diabetes, as well as
reduced occurrence of complications in people with diabetes, in a Chinese
population. For individuals who have already developed diabetes, restricted
consumption of fresh fruit, which is common in many parts of the world, should
not be encouraged.
We
all know that eating fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits go hand in hand with
healthy lifestyle for well-being. But people diagnosed with diabetes are restricted
to eat fruits due to the common belief of high sugar content in fruits. However,
the researchers have reported that eating a bowl of fresh fruits every day can
lower the risk of developing diabetes by 12% and also diabetes related complications.
It
is also found that diabetics who regularly ate fruit — about 100 grams or ½ cup
daily — had a 17 % lower risk of death from any cause; 28% lower risk of
complications involving small blood vessels like kidney and heart disease; and
13% lower risk of complications involving large blood vessels, such as stroke
and heart disease.
Best fruits for diabetics:
Among
healthy individuals, those who ate fresh fruit daily had a 12% lower risk of
developing diabetes compared to those who never or rarely ate it. The best
fruits for diabetics are blueberries, strawberries, guava, watermelon,
cherries, papaya, pomegranates, apples, pears and oranges which release sugars
more slowly into the blood stream than bananas, grapes and other tropical
fruits. They are full of fiber and antioxidants and stock you with the
essential nutrients that your body requires.
Beware:
It's
important to make a difference between whole fresh fruit which is loaded with
fibre and fruit juice which is very high in sugar. So it’s necessary to note
that fruit may lower risk of diabetes, but fruit juice may raise it.
The
most efficient method of reducing your diabetes risk is to have a healthy diet
with regular exercise and maintaining healthy weight.
So
add a touch of refreshment in your day with bowl of fresh fruits and don’t
forget to keep it healthy!!
References:
www.aarp.org
No comments:
Post a Comment