Apples in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Healthy people never have any doubts about whether or not to eat apples. Familiar from childhood, the fruit grows in every garden and is sold in every market, so it is considered something familiar and taken for granted - like air, sunlight or rain. Apples in diabetes raise questions, and every diabetic must answer them for themselves.

What kind of apples can you eat when you have diabetes?

Plant foods are essential for everyone, regardless of their health condition. Unfortunately, not all fruits are good for diabetics. You have to look for the golden mean, not to limit yourself too much, but also not to harm your health. Apples in diabetes, along with citrus fruits, peaches, pears, are included in the list of allowed fruits, and this is a principled position of nutritionists.

• Having solved the main question, the patient is faced with the following: are all apples equally useful? Which apples are the best for diabetes? Does the variety, color, chemical composition matter?

Apples, along with other plant foods, are present in diabetic diets of patients with both types of the disease. The conditions for their consumption are as follows:

• eat limited amounts (1 fruit per day);
• take unsweetened, green-colored ones;
• the lower the patient's weight, the smaller the size of the apple;
• baked goods are used to replace useless sweets;
• Apple as part of light salads - a healthy appetizer or dessert.

With the right dosage, apples are only beneficial to the diabetic. They are rich in substances that support immunity, improve blood circulation, have a positive effect on digestion, relieve fatigue and lift a person's mood. Apples are a useful alternative to fatty condiments, with them the body receives a number of essential minerals, pectin, vitamins.

Apples are also a good source of antioxidants. Compared to many other commonly consumed fruits in the United States, apples ranked second in antioxidant activity. [1] Apples also ranked second in total phenolic compounds and, perhaps more importantly, apples had the highest proportion of free phenolics compared to other fruits. [2]

Not only can apples help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and asthma, apple consumption may also be associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. In a previously discussed Finnish study involving 10,000 people, a reduced risk of type II diabetes was associated with apple consumption. [3] Higher intake of quercetin, a major component of apple peel, was also associated with a reduced risk of type II diabetes.

Indications

The diabetic's diet is prepared in such a way that it contains all nutrients, maintains a stable sugar level, and does not allow sharp fluctuations in the key indicator. Indications for the prescription of certain products depend mainly on the nature and type of the disease.

• Restrictions apply to animal fats. Carbohydrates should be present at all times, in the form of a variety of dietary products.

Apples in diabetes are shown unsweetened, in small quantities to balance the carbohydrate balance. They supply vitamins, fiber, trace elements, strengthen blood vessels and protective forces, thanks to freshness and pleasant taste enrich the diet.

According to new data, the information that diabetics need to eat green apples is outdated. And that the sugar content depends on the degree of maturity and size of the apple as much as on the variety. So when including these fruits in the menu, it is better to consult your doctor to get his competent opinion on this matter.

Apples in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is called non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In this form, insulin is present in the body, but there is no ability to transport it to sugars. This is a somewhat simplified scheme, but available to understand the process. Diet, including including apples in type 2 diabetes, serves to correct glucose levels. The daily norm of fruits stays depending on the total amount of carbohydrates and the perception of the product by the body.

• It is generally recommended to eat one apple a day for diabetes.

When buying them, pay attention to the variety, size, flavor, condition of the rind. Lately it has been written that the best for diabetics are green varieties, usually less sweet than red ones. But this is not an indisputable fact: there are exceptions. According to other information, the amount of sugar in fruits of different colors differs insignificantly, and by experience we know that even red apples can be sour.

• Do not take apples that are rotten, too soft or hard, shriveled, sticky.

All this is characteristic of low-quality and poorly stored fruit. An apple with a wormhole, supposedly testifying to its ecological purity, is hardly tasty. Perhaps, it really has fewer chemicals, but the taste and shelf life of such fruits leave much to be desired.

Apples in type 1 diabetes

An important component that determines the value of apples in type 1 diabetes is fiber. It serves to reduce cholesterol and is able to slow down the absorption of glucose into the blood. The whole fruit consists of useful substances, including the peel and even the pips - a source of iodine, which is extremely important for the body. However, this does not mean that they should be eaten as much as you like.

• No, because the seeds contain a poison called cyanide. A 100-gram serving of these seeds causes fatal poisoning. And although no one consumes them in such quantities, the norm is set: no more than 6 pieces per day.

Insulin-dependent diabetes requires a balanced diet. In the past, people with diabetes were very dependent on strict diets due to insulin deficiency and undeveloped treatment methods. Now doctors are able to compose balanced diets taking into account food preferences, so apples in diabetes are no longer a forbidden fruit. Only products that sharply increase sugar belong to them, because jumps are dangerous for the patient.

• Apples, thanks to the abundance of fiber, are not a critical product, on the contrary, enrich the body with healthy carbohydrates, which are essential for every person.

Without their supply, insulin can excessively lower glucose levels, and this is fraught with new problems. To prevent them, there is a diet, timely use of food and, if necessary, medication.

Apples in gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes is referred to as an increase in glucose levels in pregnant women. This condition occurs in 4% of expectant mothers, in the last trimester of pregnancy they are included in the risk group for this factor. Blood glucose exceeds the norm, but not as critically as in true diabetes. However, this does not mean that the problem is allowed to be hushed up or ignored. Absolutely not, because the consequences of inactivity can tragically affect the fetus! Let's dwell in more detail, what place in the diet take apples in diabetes in pregnant women.

• Half of the daily diet in this variant of diabetes is carbohydrates.

They are saturated with sweet food, which is contraindicated for pregnant women. Instead, the menu includes vegetables, cereals, legumes, black bread. Apples in gestational diabetes are included in the diet, but exclusively acidic varieties - along with strawberries, raspberries, grapefruit, plums, pears, gooseberries, currants. Sweet fruits, along with bananas, grapes, melons, figs, persimmons, are included in the list of prohibited products.

Apples will be useful if a woman is able to organize a proper diet. It should be fractional: 3 main meals and 3 intermediate meals, so-called snacks, drinking about 2 liters of fluid per day. Apples are taken as a snack and an addition to dinner.

Calories are calculated according to body weight: 35-40 kcal/kg. Carbohydrate and protein products are not combined in one meal.

Benefits

Apples contain about 85% liquid and the rest are solid components, particularly fiber. Chemically, apples are composed of trace elements, vitamins, pectin. Sugar takes a low place in their rating: the average fruit contains about 20 g, and in green varieties - even less.

• It is because of the sweet ingredient that the question about apples in diabetes arises, in other cases inappropriate. After all, the usefulness of the most popular fruit among all kinds of fruits is beyond anyone's doubt.

Apples dull the appetite, help digest foods, cleanse cholesterol, strengthen the immune system. Despite the increased amount of glucose, they are useful for diabetics to prevent capillary fragility. Green varieties with a sour flavor are more acceptable: they are considered to have fewer carbohydrates.

The limitation concerns the quantity: up to 2 medium-sized fruits per day is quite enough. It is desirable not to eat large apples whole at once, so as not to provoke a sugar spike. It is better to divide into two meals, with some interval. Recommended varieties are white, Semerenko, Antonovka, Pink Lady, Granny Smith.

People with diabetes can be advised two things: don't eat anything without consulting your doctor. (If apples are not part of the diet, then it is obviously wrong to expect benefits from them.) And once authorized, find out how apples work for you personally. To that end, measure your glucose levels before and after eating the fruit. The indicators will show whether you can safely eat your favorite fruit without risking harm to the body.

Baked apples for diabetes

Fresh apples in diabetes are useful if you do not abuse neither the quantity nor the sweetness. Under such conditions, they manifest all their useful properties and do not raise blood sugar. Regarding processed fruits, not everything is unambiguous. For example, apple dried fruits and jams are not so desirable on the table of a diabetic, because they contain an increased amount of sweet components.

• However, there is an excellent alternative to fill the menu of sweet tooth: it is baked apples in diabetes.

This is a very useful dish that preserves the best properties, and for digestion it is even more pleasant than fresh fruit. Apples look and smell appetizing, have a pleasant taste, they successfully replace cakes and sweets, undesirable in the diet of a diabetic.

• The pectin in the fruit satisfies hunger, removes toxic substances, reduces insulin levels.

To cleanse the body from the accumulated poisons of the day, it is enough to eat one baked fruit in the evening. In general, no more than 2 sour apples, usually green in color, are allowed per day. They are eaten with the peel, and after consumption, the sugar level is monitored to know how the dish affects a particular patient.

Recipes for baked apples can be made more complicated: stuffed with combined ingredients - cottage cheese with apricots, nuts, raisins, eggs, cinnamon, stevia. It is better to bake greenish fruits with a hard skin (Semerenko, white filling varieties).

Dried apples for diabetes

Almost all dried fruits retain the vitamin and mineral substances available in fresh produce. Their consumption by diabetics depends on the level of the glycemic index and the amount of harmful saccharides. They are used for snacking, preparing souzvar, vegetable stew, baked meat.

• Dried apples in diabetes are on the list of allowed products, although some authors refer all dried fruits to harmful, arguing their opinion with increased concentrations of sugars.

Nevertheless, apples in diabetes in the form of dry slices, in combination with prunes or apricots, give an opportunity to refresh, enrich the blood with components that are especially useful to the body of a diabetic.

• A diabetic diet considers not only the benefits of food, but also the balance of nutrients.

The safe dose also depends on the acid content of the dried fruit. If the acidity of the stomach is normal, then additional acids are not terrible. If the pH is high, on the contrary: sour dried apples become a source of extra acids, which in this case is not safe.

Compote from drying is prepared after preliminary soaking of raw materials and twice draining the liquid after boiling. Then pour water again and finally cook uzvar with a sugar substitute, adding cinnamon for flavor.

Dry apple slices are also healthier for a diabetic after soaking in hot water for 8 hours. During this time, the water is changed several times, and then eat softened apple slices with pleasure and benefit.

Green apples for diabetes

Fresh fruits, including apples, in diabetes are beneficial as a source of vitamin and mineral complex, polysaccharides, fructose, acids, tannins. These substances are useful to everyone, but for diabetics play a special role. Thus, vitamins strengthen the vascular system, which is particularly vulnerable in diabetes, and plant fibers absorb excess sugars.

• The optimal variety is green apples for diabetes. They are favored by the lower amount of sugar compared to sweet red varieties.

Although, if you look picky, the sweetness of apples is not directly related to the shade of the peel. Variety is not only color, but also other factors. Especially since domestic orchards ripen a whole range of fruits: yellow, pink, almost white, spotted-striped, orange-colored fruits.

• The most suitable varieties for diabetics are Grenny Smith, Semerenko, Golden Rangers, Antonovka, the most popular white pour.

The best apples are fresh. It is desirable not to mix them with other foods: such a combination loads the pancreas.

Dried fruits from green apples are suitable for compote. The concentration of sugar in them is many times higher than in fresh fruit, and this is fraught with an increase in glucometer readings. Water dilutes the concentration to quite safe values.

• The best option is soaked fruit. They retain the full range of vitamins with a reduced glycemic index.

Stewed or baked fruits are especially useful if the diabetic has digestive problems.

Jams, jams, jams, jams are used to urgently increase the sugar level in insulin-dependent diabetics. A portion of sweet potion quickly acts in hypoglycemia, restores the normal state and well-being of the person.

Self-prepared fresh water, without any sweet additives, is allowed in the minimum volume: up to half a glass. Or a full glass diluted with water.

• Commercial drinks are always too sweet, and therein lies the danger for every diabetic.

Apples are also used for dietary baking, fruit salads, desserts, stuffing. All this is tasty and useful, but when eating such food, do not forget to control its amount, so that the glucometer indicator "does not swing" to a dangerous limit.

Antonovka apples

People with diabetes have to be especially picky with fruit products. Despite the undoubted usefulness of all fruits, not all of them are equally well accepted by the sick body. Even apples with diabetes should be chosen meticulously, taking into account the variety, quality, degree of maturity, commercial appearance. Because a beautiful, accessible, familiar from childhood fruit can not only bring nutritional pleasure, but also harm the body.

• Antonovka apples belong to the varieties recommended for diabetics.

Rich flavor, low percentage of sugar and calories, abundance of vitamins and pectins make them very appropriate in the diet of people with metabolic disorders, in particular, glucose assimilation. In addition to fresh fruits, pickled fruits are useful.

In favor of antonovka is evidenced by the fact that the first complementary feeding of the baby is recommended to start with fruits of this variety. The use of apples by pregnant women ensures the prevention of allergic and asthmatic attacks in the newborn.

• There is also the other side of the coin. Any fruit can become harmful if it is abused or eaten at the wrong time.

For example, the digestive tract does not accept antonovka on an empty stomach, and tooth enamel can be damaged by organic acids present in apples. To prevent this, rinse the mouth with water every time after eating apples.

The seeds of this, as well as other varieties, contain not only useful iodine, but also substances that release poisonous hydrocyanic acid in the stomach. In order to avoid poisoning, do not get carried away with pips: the maximum safe dose is 6 pieces.

Apples are not recommended for abdominal bloating, ulcers and some other GI diseases.

White apples

White Bulk is one of the earliest varieties. Sour-sweet taste, soft peel, delicate aroma of apples ripening in mid-summer make them unique among the variety of varieties: multicolored, with a whole range of taste and color. It is with them that the apple season begins in our latitudes.

• The flesh of white apples is loose and fine-grained. The name originated due to the specific whitish color of fully ripe fruit.

Pleasant sourness and vitamin benefits of the variety are due to the abundance of ascorbic acid. Thanks to apples strengthen immunity, protection against infectious diseases. Insoluble fiber cleanses the intestines and the body as a whole, normalizes cholesterol. Antioxidant quercetin counteracts the damaging effects of free radicals.

• The most delicious fruit is the fruit taken directly from the apple tree. But this opportunity does not happen very often.

Mostly apples in diabetes are used purchased. They are cut into slices for desserts or salads, baked whole, used for compotes, dried for ouzvar. From white filling prepare stuffing for baking, pickled and salted for the winter, processed for jam, jam, wine, juice.

• The juicy, sour white fruit is a great snack. Baked fruit serves as an afternoon snack or late supper. Soaked apples are also suitable for diabetics.

Apple dried fruits, jams, syrups, industrial juices should not appear in the menu of a diabetic: they contain too much sugar, harmful to health.

What can and what can not?

What can I eat?

Apple is one of the safest and most familiar fruits. People of all ages enjoy eating them, and even patients who have undergone surgery can resume their diet with the help of apples, though baked. Apples are definitely useful in such a specific disease, such as diabetes. Nutritionists give their recommendations regarding the method and amount of fruit in the diabetic's diet.

Apples in diabetes will be maximally beneficial if:

• to eat them whole;
• one medium apple per meal;
• the intake should be distributed evenly throughout the day;
• Do not consume canned juice, processed or dried fruit.

To answer for yourself the question "What can I eat?", in addition to apples, will help a doctor who is aware of your health condition and the relevant dietary requirements. A diet unique to you qualitatively will not deteriorate if some ingredients are replaced with analogs. The main thing is that the overall total and the number of critical components, that is, sugar, did not increase.

In short, it does not matter which product is the source of carbohydrates; it is their weight in the overall structure of the diet that is important. From the fruit and berry group, permitted sources include grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, kiwi.

What can't you eat?

Diet is an important part of the lifestyle of people with diabetes. There is a lot to give up and a lot to change, but it is possible for everyone who wants to live a full and positive life. At first, a diabetic often faces the question "What can't I eat?", and it is the responsibility of the attending physician to answer it.

In particular, questions arise about the acceptability of fruits, which generally contain sweet components that affect blood values. Answers should be sought separately for each fruit. In particular, apples in diabetes are a kind of compromise between the undoubted benefits and the potential harm that can become real if they are not consumed correctly.

Components important for diabetics are found in both the pulp and the rind. These are trace elements, pectins, vitamins, acids, antioxidants.

• Fresh, baked, soaked fruits nutritionists welcome, to dried are cautious, or rather, to their quantity and method of application, and jams-jams-conservation strongly rejected.

Dried ones are better used for unsweetened souzvar, as well as should not be sweetened compote made from fresh fruit.

As for juices, they are also forbidden, especially canned juices: they always contain a lot of sugar. Freshes made from your own fruit are allowed - in a small volume, preferably diluted with water.

Contraindications

Any fruit when consumed uncontrolled can raise blood sugar. Apples in diabetes are no exception. Patients should follow the diet prescribed by the doctor, and deny themselves in the presence of contraindications. Health is worth it.

• When it comes to apples, it's not just the fresh fruit.

Unsweetened compote, baked apples are quite dietary food. But jams and dried fruits, which concentrate too much sugar, it is recommended to exclude from the diabetic diet.

Possible risks

To reduce the risks associated with dieting, it helps to organize a proper regimen based on the principles of healthy eating. Everything as in healthy people, but with control of sugar levels. A balanced diet makes it possible to avoid critical situations, up to diabetic coma.

Apples in diabetes can and should be consumed, and not necessarily green. Modern nutritionists recommend trusting your taste and believe that the sugar concentration depends mainly on the maturity of the fruit, not only on the color or variety.

Complications

With diabetes, it is important to keep the process under control to prevent possible complications. Among a number of points on how to do this, an important place is a healthy diet that meets the needs of the diabetic's body. Apples in diabetes are usually part of the diet and do not cause complications if consumed properly.

Complications arise in the presence of concomitant problems, in particular, various pathologies of the digestive organs, in which apples are not recommended.

Detailed menu for each day

The main limitation in diabetes are foods with high sugar content: honey, sweet berries-fruits, cakes, candies. Traditionally, spicy, fatty, fried dishes are not recommended.

• When calculating a detailed menu for each day, it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of other pathologies, age, physical activity of the patient.

To maintain normal health and performance, a person has to take insulin in the optimal dosage. Lack or excess of the hormone provokes deterioration and complications.

• Dietitians offer diabetics lists of allowed and forbidden foods.

Apples in diabetes are included in the first list, but usually with some conditions. Individual diets may vary slightly, but the general recommendations regarding apples are as follows:

• Eat no more than one fruit per day, of medium size.
• Choose ripe, fresh, healthy apples.
• Preference is given to sour varieties, usually green in color, grown in the private sector.
• In addition to fresh apples, include in the menu baked apples, fruit and snack salads with apples, compotes and soups without sugar.
• Do not buy industrial juices, jams, jams, jams with a high percentage of sweet components.
• The best time for apples is the second breakfast or dinner.

Recipes

The classic version of apples in diabetes - baked. The dish is quick and easy to prepare. Apples do not need to be peeled, it is enough to remove the middles. Instead, put cottage cheese mixed with eggs, ground nuts, cinnamon. Someone likes to add various berries. Bake apples in the oven, readiness is determined by softness.

• Since jams and jams are not recommended for diabetics, then for the winter prepare mashed potatoes.

Cleaned from all excess pulp cut into pieces, add sugar, water to the bottom of the pot and cook stirring. Put the soft mass into jars for sterilization.

Apple recipes include more than just the sweet ingredients. Appetizer salads with the inclusion of apples have a tangy flavor and lightness. Example salad: grated apples, green onions, nettles, dressed with sour cream. Or grated apples, horseradish, celery, watered with sour cream.

The undeservedly neglected pickled apples are distinguished by their special flavor and usefulness. The original recipes, with ingredients as exotic as rye straw, are probably lost, but they are successfully replaced with available products.

• Take hard winter apples, an oak barrel or an ordinary glass jar, cover the bottom with currant leaves, on them put two rows of fruit.

Cover them with mint, then again lay the apples. Top tightly covered with currants and pour brine: 1 liter of warm boiled water - 15g salt, 20g honey, 10g rye flour.

Testimonials

No negative reviews about apples have been found. Some authors refer to the English proverb that just one apple prolongs youth and saves a person from going to doctors. There are other "flattering" comments, but seriously speaking, only the attending physician should recommend (or not) apples for diabetes.

Results

Vegetables and fruits high in plant fiber are always appropriate in the diet of a health-conscious person. However, it is difficult to measure the specific results of their consumption according to medical indications and recommendations. One thing is certain: apples in diabetes should be eaten as much as the daily sugar allowance. On average, it is 1-2 pieces.

Dieting is often associated with something bland and unpalatable. Full-fledged and tasty nutrition is made by plant food and fruit for dessert. Practice shows that apples in diabetes in an acceptable dosage do not cause harm; on the contrary, favorite fruits diversify the diet, supply carbohydrates and natural vitamins, bring food pleasure.