Is Apple Good For Diabetes?

An apple is an edible fruit that comes in various colors, produced by an apple tree, scientifically known as Malus Domestica. The trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most commonly cultivated species of the genus Malus. People with diabetes should watch their carbohydrate intake to ensure their blood sugar levels remain stable throughout the day.

There are about 25 grams (g) of total carbohydrates in a medium-sized apple, and about 19 g of that comes from sugar. Apples also contain 4 g of dietary fiber approx.

Dietary fiber has beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, which could help prevent blood sugar and insulin level spikes.

Nutritional Contents of Apple

Apples are extremely nutritious kind of fruits.

A single medium apple, weighing around 182 g contains:

• Calories: 104
• Vitamin C: 9.2mg
• Fiber: 4.8g
• Carbohydrates: 27.6g
• Sugars: 20.8g
• Protein: 0.5g
• Fat: 0.3g
• Potassium: 214mg
• Fiber: 4.8g
• Vitamin A: 6mcg
• Fiber: 4.8g

Health Benefits of Apple

1. Improves heart health – Naturally low in sodium and excessive in potassium, plant ingredients save you from risky elevations in blood pressure. Whole apples are an amazing supply of fiber, which is thought to decrease LDL cholesterol levels. In addition, apples offer several anti-inflammatory compounds that lessen the general chance of coronary heart disease.
2. Helps in preventing cancer – Apples are known to contain a natural antioxidant called quercetin which is considered powerful. Diseases like prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer all show promising benefits of quercetin. A diet rich in fruits like apples provides quercetin with other powerful antioxidants that help in Cancer prevention.
3. Helps in reducing symptoms of asthma – Apples contain quercetin which is also beneficial for people with asthma. Researchers have found that quercetin suppresses inflammation and is effective in reducing the severity of food allergies and respiratory problems. Including apples in a comprehensive asthma treatment plan helps in keeping the symptoms at bay.
4. May help in reducing insulin resistance – Regularly consuming apples has the potential to reduce insulin resistance, which may help in lowering blood sugar levels. This is because the polyphenols in apples, mainly found in the apple skin occur in the pancreas to release insulin and help cells absorb sugar.

Is Apple Good For Diabetes?

Apples contain sugar, but much of the sugar in apples is fructose. When fructose is consumed whole, it has very little effect on blood sugar levels. The fiber in apples also slows down the digestion and absorption of sugar. This means the sugar enters the bloodstream slowly and doesn’t spike blood sugar levels quickly.

In addition, polyphenols, plant compounds found in apples, can also slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and lower blood sugar levels. Apples score relatively low on both the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) scales, meaning they should cause minimal spikes in blood sugar levels.