Melon for diabetes

Most diabetics are forced to limit their diet - and, first of all, this concerns carbohydrate foods, including sweet fruits and berries. But how can you resist in the season, when stores and markets everywhere offer sweet and aromatic fruits - melon. Many patients immediately have a logical question: is melon allowed for diabetes? Is it possible to enjoy a few pieces without further adverse effects on well-being and health?

Can you eat melon if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes?

Proper nutrition is given a leading place in the treatment plan for patients with diabetes. At the same time, it is necessary to change the frequency of food intake, its energy value, and composition.

The diet of a person with diabetes should include up to 20% proteins, up to 30% lipids and about 50% carbohydrates. It is extremely important for diabetics to pay attention to the glycemic index of foods, because the volume of carbohydrates consumed and their characteristics are of particular importance for diabetics. At the same time, the diet should not be monotonous and gloomy - variety is extremely necessary.

If we talk about the fruit and berry menu - in particular, about melon for diabetes, then the main stumbling block here is sucrose and fructose - natural sweets that are always present in fruits. Of course, they are also present in the melon pulp, along with other sugars:

• sucrose 6%;
• fructose 2.5%;
• glucose 1.2%.

To avoid a sharp rise in blood sugar levels and to ensure that eating melon for diabetes brings only benefits, you need to take into account several tips from experts:

• Melon is relatively low in calories (up to 40 kcal per 100 g), but the glycemic index for diabetics is not encouraging, being in the range of 65-69. It turns out that melon for diabetics leads to a rapid but short-term increase in sugar content in the bloodstream. If a person is healthy, then after eating melon, insulin is released into the blood, causing a decrease in glucose levels. As a result, a hypoglycemic state is observed with the subsequent appearance of a feeling of hunger. But for diabetics, this pattern is disrupted, so melon for diabetes is allowed to be eaten in doses, little by little - for example, making several approaches of 200 g, while limiting the consumption of other dishes with carbohydrates.
• Before the melon season (when the patient plans to eat it), doctors recommend monitoring the glucose content in the bloodstream for some time. This will allow you to find out the dynamics of sugar concentration jumps. The same monitoring should be carried out after the end of the melon season.
• Melon should be added to the diet little by little, starting, for example, with 200 g per day. At the same time, doctors advise for diabetics to choose dense melons, not too sweet, with a reduced sugar content.
• Melon is rich in fiber, so do not mix the pulp with other food. It is better to eat a few pieces about half an hour before the main meal.

It is equally important to choose a quality melon, free of nitrates and heavy metals. Otherwise, instead of enjoying the taste and aroma of melon, a person can only get harm.

Can you eat melon if you have gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes can be observed during pregnancy - but not in all pregnant women, only in 4% of them. This type of diabetes goes away on its own some time after childbirth.

The cause of this problem is a decrease in the sensitivity of cells to insulin. As a rule, this is initially explained by hormonal changes in the female body. Soon after the birth of the child, the state of hormones and glucose normalizes. However, the woman must take precautions so that the gestational form of diabetes does not transform into true diabetes. For this, the doctor prescribes a special diet.

Doctors allow women diagnosed with gestational diabetes to eat melon, but the amount of this product should be minimal and not exceed 300-400 g per day. In no case should you forget about the quality of the melon, eating only those specimens that will not pose a danger to the health of the expectant mother and her baby.

Melon will be beneficial for gestational diabetes if you include it in your diet gradually and consume it in moderation.

Bitter melon momordica for diabetes

Melon can be represented by different varieties. There is also a specific variety of melon that has medicinal properties specifically for diabetics. We are talking about the "bitter" melon - momordica, the beneficial qualities of which have been appreciated by many patients suffering from diabetes. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these facts.

In the circles of people suffering from diabetes, the most commonly used are the leaves and pulp of the momordica melon. The pulp is cut into small pieces, salted and fried in a frying pan with chopped onions. It is served as an addition to vegetable and meat dishes. In addition, this melon can be used to make salads, marinate and bake.

Why is this specific bitter melon useful for diabetes? Momordica melon contains lectins - analogues of the CIC3 protein, and proinsulin. These proteins help proinsulin transform into regular insulin, and also have the ability to bind sugars. With systematic use of bitter melon, the number of β-cells increases, thereby increasing the ability of the pancreas to produce its own insulin. This melon normalizes the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and strengthens the immune system.

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Benefits and harms of melon for diabetes

Melon can be both harmful and beneficial for diabetes. What does it depend on?

Melon pulp contains up to 90% moisture. One hundred grams of melon may contain 0.5-0.7 g of protein, less than 0.1 g of fat and more than 7 g of carbohydrates, while the caloric content is relatively low - about 35-39 kcal.

The biological and chemical composition of the edible pulp of melon is varied:

• vitamins A and C, tocopherol, folic acid, B vitamins;
• iron, manganese, iodine, zinc, silicon;
• sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, etc.;
• amino acids, carotenoids.

Melon also contains a specific substance called inositol, which prevents fat accumulation in the liver. Melon is also famous for its mild laxative and diuretic effects.

• Melon helps relieve fatigue, improves sleep, and calms people with diabetes.
• Melon improves metabolism, cleanses the blood, and fights anemia.
• Melon improves the flow of processes in the brain.
• Melon stabilizes hormonal balance and strengthens the immune system.

Melon can be harmful for diabetics if eaten immoderately, in large quantities, or together with other foods, which can lead to disruption of normal digestive processes.

The most dangerous are melons of dubious origin, since the nitrates and other harmful compounds they contain can seriously worsen human health.

In general, melon is useful for diabetes. But it should be eaten with caution - a little at a time, separately from other food. If you follow all the doctor's recommendations, you will be able to get considerable benefit from this product.

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