Can you eat watermelon if you have type 2 diabetes?

Watermelons are a favorite treat for children and adults in August and early autumn. In hot weather, they perfectly quench thirst, and in the fall they serve as a pleasant reminder of summer days. Watermelons are included in the menu of many therapeutic diets as a low-calorie product with a high water content. Among the diseases that require a special diet are type 2 diabetes.

Nutritionists recommend that diabetics replace sweets and baked goods with fruits. So is it possible or not to eat watermelon if you have type 2 diabetes? You will receive a detailed answer to this question in our article. We will consider the composition, calorie content and nutritional indicators of the sweet summer-autumn delicacy.

Pulp composition and calorie content of watermelon

Watermelon is considered a dietary product. 100 g of the edible part of the fruit contains 27 kcal.

Nutrient content in 100 g of watermelon pulp:

• proteins – 0.6 g;
• fats – 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates – 5.8 g;
• dietary fiber – 0.4 g;
• water – 92.6 g;
• mineral components – 0.5 g.

Fresh watermelon pulp is a source of vitamins, micro- and macroelements.

The content of biologically active substances in watermelon pulp (per 100 g of edible part) and the percentage of the daily requirement of an adult are presented in the table.

Before including a product in the diet, patients with diabetes evaluate not only the carbohydrate content, but also their structure, which affects the glycemic index of the product.

Glycemic index and bread units of watermelon

The glycemic index is an indicator of the rate of glucose entering the blood after eating, that is, the sugar load. Foods containing complex carbohydrates such as starch and glycogen have a low glycemic index. Foods high in glucose, fructose, and disaccharides (sugars) have a high glycemic index.

For type 1 and type 2 diabetes, doctors recommend reducing or eliminating foods with a high glycemic index rather than those high in carbohydrates. It’s worth figuring out whether watermelon increases blood sugar, and if so, by how much.

Watermelon pulp contains 5.8 g of simple sugars per 100 g, complex carbohydrates do not accumulate in the edible part of the fruit. A small amount of dietary fiber slightly slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood. The human digestive tract is designed in such a way that the breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of glucose begins in the oral cavity. As soon as you bite off a piece of juicy pulp, simple carbohydrates already begin to enter the bloodstream.

Glycemic index of watermelon – 65-70 units. The main simple monosaccharide of watermelon is fructose. Under the influence of liver enzymes, it quickly turns into glucose and increases blood sugar levels. 100 g of watermelon pulp is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of pure sugar.

An indirect indicator for calculating the norm of consumption of carbohydrate foods for diabetics is bread units. One bread unit (XE) is equal to 10-12 g of sugar. Watermelon pulp contains 1 XE per 270 g of edible part.

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The benefits of watermelon pulp

Watermelon pulp contains 92% water and 0.1% organic acids, which has a positive effect on the genitourinary system and prevents urolithiasis.

During hot periods, eating watermelons prevents dehydration.

Vitamins and microelements replenish up to 5% of the daily requirement for these substances when consuming 100 g of pulp. The average serving for an adult is 300-400 g, it replenishes up to 15-20% of the daily requirement for vitamins and minerals. Such indicators of nutrient content, together with low calorie content, became the reason for the development of a special watermelon diet for the treatment of obesity.

Attention! Do not go on a diet without the advice of a nutritionist. The doctor selects a therapeutic diet based on biochemical blood parameters. Changing your diet on your own and excluding foods from it can cause irreparable harm to your health.

The high water content cleanses not only the kidneys and blood, but also the intestines. To cleanse the intestines and bile ducts, add salt to the pulp before use. This method is only suitable for people without a tendency to edema.

What diabetes can you eat watermelon for?

Diabetes is an endocrine disease that causes increased frequency of urination and thickening of the blood.Thick blood clogs capillaries and blood vessels, which reduces regenerative function and causes trophic ulcers on the skin and mucous membranes of internal organs. These necrotic tissue lesions are extremely dangerous and can be fatal.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas (lack of insulin) or pituitary gland (lack of vasopressin) does not work properly.

In the first case, diabetes types 1 and 2 are distinguished. In insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes, the hormone insulin is not produced or is produced in an inactive form. This type of diabetes can be hereditary. Patients with type 1 diabetes are often not overweight and must take active insulin medications throughout their lives.

In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but tissues lose sensitivity to it. This is a non-hereditary disease caused by metabolic disorders. Patients with this type of diabetes are often overweight and have gastrointestinal problems.

With diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, patients are forced to limit the consumption of foods high in carbohydrates, including watermelons, as well as other berries and fruits.

A completely different picture is observed with diabetes insipidus, caused by a lack of the hormone vasopressin, which increases the reabsorption of water in the kidneys. With this disease, there are no restrictions on sugar consumption, and watermelons, rich in liquid, help temporarily alleviate the condition of patients.

Restrictions and norms for watermelon consumption for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Due to the high glycemic index, the norm for consumption of watermelon pulp for patients with type 2 diabetes is 300 g per day, provided that all other carbohydrate foods are excluded from the diet, regardless of their glycemic index.

To slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, nutritionists recommend eating watermelons with whole grain bread or bran. In this case, if you have diabetes, you can eat up to 250 g of watermelon per day to reduce the sugar load on the pancreas.

Diabetics are not recommended to drink watermelon juice, as it does not contain fiber, which slows down the absorption of fructose.

Beneficial effects when following the consumption standards of watermelon pulp:

• The daily calorie intake is reduced, making it easier to lose weight;
• the functioning of the digestive tract is normalized;
• beneficial nutrients have a beneficial effect on the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems.

Possible harm is associated with the risk of swelling. If you are prone to swelling, have concomitant diseases of the respiratory system, or have heart or kidney failure, watermelons are completely excluded from the diet.

Watermelons are also not recommended for patients with moderate and severe diabetes, when taking a pill of a glucose-lowering drug does not compensate for the sugar load on the pancreas.

Choosing healthy watermelons

It is strictly not recommended to buy watermelons at the beginning of the summer season. These delicious-looking fruits are grown using chemical growth accelerators. These compounds accumulate unchanged in watermelon pulp. They are not broken down by enzymes in the human body and are dangerous to the health of not only patients with diabetes, but also healthy people.

Depending on the growing conditions, the sugar level in watermelon pulp fluctuates. The more sugary the pulp, the more grainy its structure. A healthy watermelon for type 2 diabetics has a non-grainy, watery pulp structure.

It is better to cool the watermelon pulp before use.The colder the food, the slower carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood. Watermelon lovers who want to enjoy them all winter and spring can freeze the watermelon pulp and eat it instead of ice cream.

Low Calorie Watermelon Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• watermelon pulp – 500 g;
• milk – 250 g (you can use coconut milk);
• vanilla – 0.5 g;
• gelatin – 10 g (can be replaced with agar-agar or pectin).

Watermelon pulp is cleaned of seeds and peel. Mix the milk and peeled watermelons with a blender until smooth. Add gelatin to the mixture and leave for 1 hour to swell. The mixture with the swollen gelatin is poured into a metal pan and heated over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. The mixture should not boil.

To ensure uniform dissolution, stir it constantly with a spoon. When the gelatin has completely dissolved, the future ice cream is cooled to room temperature, vanillin is added, poured into molds and placed in the freezer until completely hardened.

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Conclusion

Watermelon pulp is a healthy natural dessert rich in nutrients. Due to the high content of easily digestible sugars, it is recommended to limit its consumption for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus to 200-300 g per day. In order not to harm the body, follow the norm of watermelon consumption and choose fruits with a watery pulp structure.