Jackfruits for Diabetics? Why Not?

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic health condition affecting our body’s function of converting food into energy. Whenever the level of sugar in our blood goes beyond a certain point, the pancreas releases insulin. This secretion called insulin is the main component which transforms sugar into energy.

If a person has diabetes, their body cannot generate sufficient quantities of insulin. As a result, sugar content in the blood goes up.

Fruits for diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition, and there is no cure for it. While we may be under medical supervision and medication to control our blood sugar levels, we must be cautious about our food.

Diabetes is a lifestyle condition. It needs to be kept under check by carefully setting up our daily food chart. We must be mindful that food with a high glycemic index (GI) is not a good choice for us.

As per popular notions, people tell us to avoid fruits for diabetes. The reason being fruits are generally rich in a natural sugar called fructose and contain carbohydrates. At the same time, fruits are also rich in vitamins and essential minerals.

We need to optimise the consumption of fruits and plan our diet in a manner where we are extracting the benefits of the fruit. By moderating our consumption, we will also be able to contain the risks attached to fruits regarding blood sugar levels.

Ideal food and fruits for diabetes are the ones which have a low glycemic index and high fibre content. The best way to consume fruits for diabetes is to eat fresh fruits and avoid canned fruits or juices. It also helps to control the number of fruits and to spread them over a day rather than a single meal. Some of the ideal fruits are tomatoes, oranges, blackberries and strawberries.

Is jackfruit good for diabetes?

One of the most common queries people have is, is jackfruit good for diabetes? This is because its sugar content is believed to help push up the sugar levels in our blood.

However, jackfruit is rich in minerals, vitamins, proteins and phytochemicals apart from carbohydrates. It also has a fibre. This helps in reducing hunger cravings and controls our appetite.

Jackfruit – its nutritional profile

A 150-gram helping of jackfruit has the following nutrients:

Calories: 143

Fat: 1 g

Protein: 2.6 g

Carbs: 35 g

Fibre: 2.3 g

Vitamin B6: 29% of the daily value (DV)

Vitamin C: 23% of the DV

Potassium: 676 mg

Apart from the above components, jackfruits have an abundance of antioxidants, vitamin C and B6. These components help develop energy production and mitigate chronic situations like type-2 diabetes.

Benefits of jackfruit

Is jackfruit good for diabetes? Yes, with a glycemic index of around 50 to 60, it does not spike blood sugar levels. Here are some other benefits:

• Jackfruits are high in protein and fibre.
• The GI of jackfruit is 13, marginally higher than the ideal level of 0-10, which is within permissible limits.
• Jackfruits are very rich in flavonoid antioxidants. This component helps people with chronic conditions like diabetes.
• Raw jackfruits contain high quantities of fibre and potassium and help control blood sugar.

Risks of over-consumption

Despite all the benefits discussed above, a diabetic person needs to consume jackfruit in moderate quantities. If we consume jackfruit in large quantities, on a daily basis, the negative effects of the fruit are likely to harm us.

Conclusion

For a person with diabetes, food habits go a long way in keeping the symptoms under control. We may consume the contents of jackfruit, but it is better to keep a check on the quantity we eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the best fruits for diabetes?

The best fruits to have if we have diabetes are tomatoes, oranges, blackberries and strawberries.

• Is jackfruit good for diabetes?

Yes, provided it is consumed in moderate quantities so that the benefits of the fruit may be optimally extracted.

• What is the sugar content in a jackfruit?

A jackfruit contains 31.48 grams of sugar.