Due to its high fiber content, a fruit that sits on the shelves of your supermarket would be less likely to cause blood sugar spikes. Explanations.
Whether fresh or frozen, certain berries appear to be beneficial for people with diabetes. The fiber contained in these small fruits would in fact slow down the release of sugar into the blood. Explanations.
Blueberry, the ally of diabetics
According to Jocelyne Loran, a registered dietitian-nutritionist specializing in diabetes at the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, blueberries are ideal for diabetes.
And for good reason: fresh or frozen blueberries are low in sugar (1 cup of blueberries provides 22 grams of carbohydrates, including 15 grams of natural sugars) but also rich in fiber (a cup of blueberries contains about 4 grams of fiber ) ; thus, the sugar naturally present in the berries is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream.
The richness in fiber of these small, mainly insoluble berries would prevent blood sugar peaks, but would also promote satiety.
“In fact, you can eat a larger portion of blueberries“, note Jocelyne Loran.
She also recommends to her patients who are diabetic or at risk of diabetes “to consume almost a cup per day“.
Other benefits of blueberries
Unlike some other fruits, the risk of weight gain is “very weak” with blueberries, due to the few calories they contain. One cup thus represents approximately 84 calories, compared to 105 grams for banana.
Blueberries are also full of vitamins (E, BC and K) and trace elements (copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, etc.), notably manganese, a metallic element which strengthens bones and helps protect bone cells. oxidative stress.
In addition, blueberries – especially wild ones – contain a number of polyphenols which give them a notable antioxidant capacity.
These polyphenols act in synergy with its other antioxidant nutrients (vitamins C and E, manganese and copper, etc.) to neutralize different compounds formed in the body which accelerate cellular aging.
A study, published in the journal Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, even claims that the polyphenols in blueberries improve blood sugar levels.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
How to consume blueberries?
If fresh or frozen blueberries (this type of preservation preserves the vitamins, editor’s note) are good for your health, canned ones are likely to contain syrup, which is often too sweet.
However, if you buy canned blueberries, “Take those preserved in a “light” syrup and rinse them under water before consuming them… in order to reduce the added sugar content“, advises the dietitian-nutritionist.
