Diabetes Question… Fructose Vs Processed Sugars?
Fructose and diabetics? Is fruit as bad as eating processed sugars?
My dad is diabetic (on pills not insulin injections,) yet he eats loads fruit salad every lunchtime as a substitute for desert and his sugar levels hit the roof sometimes.
My dad had a foot infection which has not healed for 2 years because of his diabetes. We are trying to get him of sugary stuff so his foot will have more chance of healing.
He seems to think that he is allowed this as it is ‘natural’ sugar in fruit. But surely it must be this that is making his levels increase?
Should he eat fruit everyday?
January 28 2010 03:35 pm | Natural health care
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Quite often, fruit salads have added sugars in them. Plus, a serving of fruit salad is often more sugar than a serving of fruit. He is clearing not doing himself any favors eating it.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Yes, you are right. Eating lots of fruits can increase not only his sugar levels, but also cholesterol levels in the blood. That’s based on a diabetes study conducted.
People with diabetes can eat fruits, but in moderation. Eating lots of natural foods doesn’t guarantee that one is safe from any adverse effects. So advise your dad to eat fruits in moderation. To find out the recommended fruit serving per day, look at the link below.
As for the foot infection, careful and regular cleaning of food couples with regulated sugar (and fruit) intake can promote healing of you dad’s foot.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am
I would recommend he makes a fruit salad from scratch as i do but avoid fruits high in sugar such as grapes etc. I usually put in apples, pears, tinned peach slices (from supermarket but with grape juice not syrup), strawberries, kiwi, blackberries, red currants, blueberries etc etc. If my blood sugar is low I then sprinkle grapes on top or a banana as banana’s are a good source of carbohydrate and seep into your blood stream slower keeping your blood sugar levels level. Fruit are a natural form of sugar but as with everything I would eat it in moderation
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Anything ending in -ose is a sugar whether it is “natural” or refined. It all raises your blood sugar.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Your dad is just fooling himself if he thinks “natural” sugar is somehow better for diabetics than processed sugar. All carbohydrates ultimately are converted by the body into glucose, and diabetes is the disease in which the body’s ability to regulate glucose in the blood is impaired.
So, labeling something as “natural” may make your dad feel better about eating it, but his body is not fooled. All his body sees is the increase of glucose in his blood stream without any effective way of coping.
Diabetics simply must carefully monitor their intake of carbohydrates. Failing to do so has dire health consequences, as your father is discovering. Express as kindly as you can your concern for his health and try to get him to discuss his diet with a dietitian or nutritionist. It’s not too late for him yet, but it might become so if he doesn’t change his ways.