bananas and diabetes

Diabetics have to be very careful about their intake of sugar. Having too much or too little can cause upsetting side effects such as hypoglycemia. One common offender of blood sugar problems can be bananas. Because they are high in carbohydrates, they increase blood sugar more so than many other fruits.

Many dietitians will tell diabetics not to eat bananas; however, they can be acceptable as long as they are consumed in moderation. The body will convert carbohydrates into glucose in order to provide energy to the entire body. This also causes the pancreas to secrete insulin so that glucose can be absorbed by all the cells in the body.

Diabetics should pay careful attention to something called the glycemic index. This tells them how much a particular food will impact blood sugar levels. If a food has a high glycemic index, blood sugar and insulin levels will go up faster and higher. Obviously, diabetics need to stay away from these foods as often as possible. Bananas have a higher glycemic index than apples, for instance. However, all things considered, they are still relatively low.

Researchers also found that the more ripe banana, the higher its glycemic index. This is thought to be because the starch makes up about 80 to 90% of its carbohydrates. As the banana gets riper, it changes to free more sugars.

Although bananas have been thought to be a bad guy in the diabetic diet, they can be consumed in moderation as long as the patient is consistently monitoring their blood sugar levels as they should be. Eating some protein with the banana, such as yogurt or eggs, can help to prevent any blood sugar spikes.

Benefits Of Banana On Human Body 

There are mainly seven benefits of eating bananas on human body, which are as follows:

First of all, to promote the defecation.
Banana contains large amounts of soluble fiber, which can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract, keep the cleanness of the intestinal tract, so as to maintain the health of intestines and stomach. If you keep eating a banana before going to sleep every night, it can effectively relieve chronic constipation.

Secondly, to prevent and cure gastric ulcer.
Banana contains a special chemical substance, which can stimulate the resistant ability of gastric mucosa and enhance the protection on the stomach wall, so as to prevent the occurrence of gastric ulcer. For some people who always have to drink alcohol in social activities, they can eat some bananas before drinking, which can help them relieve the harms caused by too much alcohol.

Thirdly, to bring the high blood pressure down.
Banana contains a variety of vitamins including vitamin A, B, C and E. What's more, it is also low in sodium and cholesterol. As a result, often eating banana can effectively prevent vascular sclerosis, and bring down the high blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

Fourthly, to improve the mood.
Study has found out that, banana contains a large number of tryptophan and vitamin B6. When these two kinds of nutrients enter the body, they can make the brain produce a chemical substance, which can change human emotion, make people excited, and reduce or eliminate the depression of human body.

Fifthly, to provide a lot of energy to the body.
Banana is a kind of high-calorie fruit. It contains large amounts of carbohydrates (starch), which are not only easily absorbed within a short time, but can also provide the body with a lot of energy. And this is also one of the reasons why many athletes choose to eat banana during the competition.

Sixthly, to eliminate some skin diseases.
Banana peel contains certain ingredient which can inhibit the growth and reproduction of fungi and bacteria. These fungi and bacteria may lead to many skin problems such as skin tinea, itching, dryness, and so on. In such a case, you can use banana peel to massage the skin, which can effectively eliminate these symptoms.

Last but not the least, to improve the function of immune system.
The research shows that, eating banana can increase the amount of white blood cells in human body, which not only can improve the function of immune system, but can also prevent and fight against cancer.

Can a Diabetic Eat Bananas

Bananas are a nutritious fruit, even for diabetics.

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. Even diabetics should eat at least two servings of fruit per day, and bananas are allowed as long as you eat them with meals and take the amount of carbohydrates they contain into consideration using one of the diabetic diet planning tools.

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. You fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, then split the other half of the plate between lean protein and starchy foods and add a glass of milk and a small piece of fruit. You can use an extra-small banana as the fruit for your meal when using this system.

Considerations
Consuming a consistent amount of carbohydrates throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels is just as important as the total amount of carbohydrates a diabetic consumes. Diabetics also need to eat some protein and fat with each meal to help keep blood glucose levels from spiking too much from the carbohydrates in the meal.


Will Bananas Raise Blood Sugar?

Bananas range in size from 2.5 to 12 inches long depending on the type and are a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin B-6. As they ripen, the starch they contain turns into sugars, with riper bananas containing more sugar than green bananas. While they can be high in natural sugars, bananas are safe for diabetics as long as they take the carbohydrate content into account in their meal and snack planning.

Carbohydrate Content
Carbohydrates are the type of macronutrient most likely to raise blood sugar levels. By weight, bananas are 23 percent carbohydrate, 75 percent water, 1 percent protein and 0.3 percent fat. Bananas are relatively high in carbohydrates, with each medium banana containing 27 grams of carbs. Of these carbohydrates, 3.1 grams consist of fiber, 14.43 grams are sugars and 6.35 grams are starch. Sugars are the most rapidly digested type of carbohydrate, as starch has to be broken down into sugars by digestive enzymes. Fiber can't be digested at all because humans lack the enzymes necessary to break the bonds forming groups of sugars into fiber.

Glycemic Index
One of the ways to estimate the effect of a food on your blood sugar levels is to use the glycemic index, which compares the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood sugar with the effect of pure glucose on blood sugar. Foods with a glycemic index under 55 are low-glycemic index foods and unlikely to cause large increases in your blood sugar levels. Bananas fall into this group with a glycemic index of 52.

Limiting Blood Sugar Spikes
Even foods low on the glycemic index will cause blood sugar spikes if you eat a lot of them, so watch your serving size. Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates or high on the glycemic index along with foods that don't contain much carbohydrate or foods that are very low on the glycemic index will help minimize increases in your blood sugar levels, since these foods typically make it so your meal takes longer to digest. This means glucose is released into your blood more slowly, limiting the overall effect of the food on your blood sugar level.

Considerations
One carbohydrate serving for diabetics should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates, making a medium banana approximately two carbohydrate servings. Diabetics who use carbohydrate counting typically consume 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates each meal, so eating a banana would use up 45 to 60 percent of the allowed carbohydrates for a meal.