Can People with Diabetes eat Bananas?

Diabetes-related health issues can be avoided, or their advancement can be slowed down with careful blood sugar control. People with diabetes, therefore, need to plan their diet carefully. Banana is a versatile fruit that contains numerous nutrients. However, people with diabetes always wonder whether bananas are good for them. Let’s read this blog to understand more on is banana good for diabetics?

How Do Bananas Affect Your Blood Sugar?

Keeping your blood sugar levels as steady as possible is crucial if you have diabetes. Therefore, foods that induce blood sugar fluctuations must be minimised or avoided. Bananas are generally high in sugar and carbohydrates, the primary components leading to a rise in blood sugar levels. You can include bananas in a nutritious and healthy diet. But, if you have diabetes, you’ll have to think about its nutritional composition first.

Choosing an almost-ripe banana and consuming it with other foods are two strategies that may help lessen blood sugar spikes.

Benefits of Eating Bananas

There are several benefits of consuming bananas, like:

1. Bananas are a good dietary source of vitamin B6

Your body can easily absorb vitamin B6 from bananas. One medium-sized banana can meet around 25% of your daily vitamin B6 requirements.

2. Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin C

Although you might not think of bananas as sources of vitamin C, a medium-sized banana can supply roughly 10% of your daily requirements.

3. Manganese from bananas is beneficial to skin health

A medium-sized banana meets about 13% of your daily manganese requirements. Manganese shields your skin and other cells from damage caused by free radicals and aids in producing collagen.

4. Blood pressure and heart health benefit from potassium in bananas

You can get between 320 and 400 milligrams of potassium from a medium-sized banana, roughly 10% of your daily requirement.

Tips for Including Bananas in a Healthy Diabetes Diet

If you are in doubt about is banana good for diabetics, try this alternative way to include bananas in your diet.

1. Mix bananas with other foods

It is a simple method to reduce the blood sugar spike from any high-carb meal. Add it to other foods that include nutrients like fat and protein that take longer to digest.

2. Try a banana that is not ripe

Greener is better, so try eating your bananas before they ripen.

3. Pair it with a protein or fat

Eating foods high in fat, protein, and carbohydrates helps reduce blood sugar fluctuations by regulating the blood sugar response.

4. Consume it after a meal

Eating a banana after a meal is an excellent way to reduce a spike in blood sugar.