Is Pineapple Safe for Diabetes

Managing Diabetes: A Guide to Eating Pineapple

For people suffering from diabetes, pineapple can be a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. However, this fruit naturally contains sugar and carbohydrates, which have the potential to raise blood sugar levels. But if you are diabetic, the good news is you can feast on it in moderation.

Naturally Sweet Fruits and Diabetes

It is a popular belief in the diabetic community that fruits need to be avoided to maintain blood sugar levels. However, depriving yourself of fruits runs the risk of having a diet in essential nutrients such as antioxidants, folate, flavonoids, and potassium. Moreover, limiting pineapple intake is essential because it has a high carbohydrate content.

Tips for Pineapple Intake

Pineapple has a high-GI index of 59. Therefore, it is essential to keep these things in mind while keeping blood sugar levels in check:

1. You can pair up pineapples with a protein-rich food such as low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt.
2. Stick to having one portion of pineapple, i.e. 3/4 cup fresh or 1/2 cup canned.
3. You can also eat it along with healthy fats from sources such as seeds or nuts.
4. If pineapple is a part of the meal on the side, ensure that you consume it after the protein.

How to consume Pineapple the Safe Way?

There are two popular methods that diabetics use to reduce the risk of glucose spikes:

1 Carbohydrate Calculation Method

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient that plays a critical role in spiking blood sugar levels. The unit used to measure carbs in a food is the glycaemic index (GI). The GI ranking indicates carbohydrates in food that are responsible for raising your blood sugar levels.

Refer to the GI index before taking any fruit; a high-GI food (i.e. with a GI index of over 70) has a higher chance of spiking both blood sugar levels and insulin levels than a low-GI food (i.e. GI index of 55 or under).

2 Food Plating Method

If you are diabetic, this method is the most efficient for a balanced diabetic diet to organise food proportions. You have to take a plate of about 9 inches (or 23 cm), arrange food in the following manner:

1. Divide the plate into 4 equal halves, where half of it has non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, salad, carrots and so on.
2. ¼ portion of the plate must have starchy food like whole grains, pasta, and potatoes.
3. ¼ portion on the plate is for protein-rich sources such as meat, tofu, eggs and so on.

Risks to Keep in Mind

Certain forms of pineapple might be risky for a diabetic person, such as canned Pineapple and dried pineapple juice. These have additional sugar to them. It significantly increases the overall sugar content of the food, which is harmful when maintaining your blood glucose level.

If pineapple is one of your favourite fruits, it is advisable to regularly monitor your glucose level.