Is papaya good for diabetics?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot make enough insulin and cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose or sugar enter our body cells.

If our body cannot make or use insulin properly then sugar accumulates in our blood. Many people take medication to control their blood sugar and some control their blood sugar through exercise and a healthy diet.

If you have diabetes, you can’t eat any kind of sweet food. However, diabetics can eat sweet fruit instead of sweet food. There are some sweet fruits that help in controlling diabetes. For example- papaya. Papaya is good for diabetics.

Papaya is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin “A”, vitamin “B”, vitamin “C” and vitamin “E”, folate, and lycopene.

Although papaya is sweet in taste, it is high in fiber and low in sugar. So papaya is a healthy food alternative for people with diabetes.

Nutrition of papaya

A small fresh papaya has about 67 calories. Below are other nutritional values:

  • Fiber: 2.67 grams
  • Potassium: 286 mg
  • Vitamin “C”: 95.8 mg
  • Magnesium: 33 mg
  • Calcium: 31 mg

Is papaya good for diabetes?

The fruit is naturally sweet. Since sugar affects blood sugar levels, many people may think that these fruits should not be eaten.

But fruit is healthy food and it should be eaten in moderation. Whether papaya is good for diabetes is discussed below: –

Glycemic Index:

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of fresh papaya contains about 11 grams of sugar.

People with diabetes should reduce their intake of extra sugar to control their weight and keep their blood sugar within range.

Papaya has a glycemic index (GI) value of 80, so it does not raise blood sugar quickly.

The Glycemic index (GI) is a number. This number gives an idea of ​​how fast food sugars are converted to glucose.

Glycemic index (GI) values ​​above 70 are not good for diabetics.

Due to its moderate glycemic index, papaya is a good choice for diabetics. Eating papaya can lower our blood sugar.

According to various reports, papaya can have hypoglycemic effects on the body.

It contains flavonoids which are natural antioxidants. It helps to control blood sugar.

Fruits are usually part of a healthy diet but some fruits have high levels of natural sugars so eating too much of these fruits is not good for blood sugar.

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