FRUIT is considered as one of the healthiest snacks to eat. Not only because they contain plenty of vitamins and fibre, but they are relatively low in calories too. However, certain fruits could be “dangerous” for some people.
Diabetes affects around four million people in the UK. It is a serious condition that can have lifelong implications. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes result in the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood becoming too high.
For type 1 patients this happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose.
Type 2 diabetes is much more common and the raised blood sugar levels are usually caused by being overweight or not exercising enough.
While it is widely recommended that diabetes patients eat a range of fruit in their diet, they should also be wary of fruits that have a higher glycaemic index (GI).
The GI is a system to show how quickly foods containing carbohydrates affect your blood sugar level when eaten on their own.
Diabetes.co.uk explains: “High GI foods break down very quickly causing blood glucose levels to rise sharply.
“People with diabetes refer to sharp rises in blood sugar levels as ‘spikes’ in blood sugar.
“Furthermore, for those who produce their own , high GI foods can force the body to try to produce a surge of insulin to counteract the fast-acting carbohydrates and a common consequence of this is a feeling of hunger within two to three hours, which can leave the dieter craving more food.”
It warns: “For people with diabetes, this can be particularly dangerous as the ability of the body to control blood glucose levels is reduced or non-existent.”
