Can a diabetic eat pineapple?
Generally, a diabetic may eat pineapple. Pineapple has zero fat, zero cholesterol, low sodium and rich in fibre and vitamins. Fibre in pineapple can help diabetics. Fibre helps metabolism, bowel movements, regulates blood sugar levels and controls cholesterol.
But pineapple has medium glycaemic index (GI). This means a diabetic may experience reasonable spikes in blood sugar levels after eating pineapple. At the same time, pineapple is high in nutrition. So, we can say a diabetic can eat pineapple but needs to be careful about blood sugar levels.
Pineapple can offer amazing health benefits if you eat pineapple in small portions. So, a diabetic can include pineapple in moderate quantities in diabetic meal plans. You can eat fresh pineapple as it does not have any added sugar and is full of natural nutrients. It is best to avoid any pineapple with added sugar or sugar syrup. Added sugar or sugar syrup can be very harmful for your blood sugar levels.
How high is pineapple in sugar?
How much sugar is in pineapple depends on if it is fresh or frozen or tinned. For example, a cup of fresh pineapple contains around 8 gm of pineapple. Frozen pineapple may contain additives and so more sugar. Similarly pineapple in a can or tin generally comes with pineapple juice or sweetened syrup . Such additives mean more added sugar and more harm for a diabetic.
Does pineapple raise blood sugar levels?
Pineapple contains sugar just like other nutritious fruits such as lychee, jackfruit etc. So, when a diabetic eats pineapple, it will raise blood sugar levels. However, any blood sugar hikes caused by natural sugars do not last long. If you eat raw or frozen pineapple, you may experience quick and short-lived spikes in blood sugar levels. However, pineapple juice, dried pineapple, tinned pineapple etc. may have lot of added sugar. As a result, they may cause more serious blood sugar spikes.
Moreover, you need to eat only moderate quantity of pineapple at any time. If you eat too much of pineapple in one go, you may see huge spikes in blood sugar levels. Another tip is to mix up pineapple with some protein, fibre or healthful fat. This will reduce the Glycaemic Load (GL) of the combination and will result in lower blood sugar spikes.
