Avocado For Diabetes

Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder characterised by high blood sugar levels and a deficiency of insulin (a hormone that helps control blood sugar. A healthy and nutritious diet in the form of proteins, carbohydrates, essential fats, fibre and optimal fluid intake including fruits that are high in protein yet have a low Glycemic Index like Avocado is recommended. Recent research has shown that these fatty fruits from the avocado tree found in Mexico and Central America, are an important source of essential fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fibre for persons with diabetes. Also know about best fruit for diabetes.

Nutrition Profile of Avocado

An avocado is a pear-shaped or round fruit found in various colours, from pale green to black. The colour coincides with the stage of ripening. The most popular type of avocado is the round-shaped version with black skin.

100g of Avocado contains the following constituents

• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are divided into sugar and fibre content. An avocado contains only 0.6% of sugar. sugar in avocado is in the form of fructose, glucose, galactose, and sucrose. The rest is fibre. With a 100g serving, one consumes a total of 8.5g of carbohydrates.
• Fats: Fats are classified as saturated and unsaturated fat. Health experts consider Monounsaturated Fatty Acids(MUFA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) as healthy fats essential for the body. Avocados contain abundant MUFA in the form of oleic acid.
• Fibre: Fibre is vital for proper stomach and intestinal function. It helps clear the bowels and maintain a healthy environment in the gut. Fibre constitutes a major proportion of avocado and fulfils our daily need for dietary fibre.
• Vitamins and minerals: Avocados contain several essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B1-6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, copper, potassium, and folate. Along with these, they contain carotenoids and antioxidants.
• Water: Water forms a major portion of an avocado (73%). Water is essential for maintaining hydration and is necessary for many vital functions of the body organs.

Benefits of Avocado for Diabetes

• Blood sugar levels: Due to the extremely low sugar content in avocado, people with diabetes can consume it in greater quantities in proportion to their regular meals without worrying about their blood sugar levels.
• Blood pressure: Raised blood sugar levels cause an increase in blood pressure. The low sugar content in avocados helps maintain blood sugar levels, thereby indirectly regulating blood pressure.
• Cholesterol: Avocado is a fatty fruit containing monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats are essential for the body as they promote the production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood and tissues. 
• Weight loss: Avocado is good for patients with diabetes also because of the satiety or feeling of fullness it promotes for up to 4–5 hours post consumption. Thus, it also aids in weight loss. The high water content and carbohydrates provide for a wholesome meal. 
• Heart health: As blood pressure and cholesterol are kept under check, the heart functions optimally with reduced risk of potentially fatal coronary artery disease and cardiac arrest.
• Intestinal health: Fibre in avocado helps in the regular and optimal clearing of bowels. Good intestinal health is important for body homeostasis and maintaining good body weight.

Risks of Consuming More Avocado For Diabetics

Although the fruit offers numerous benefits, some risks of its consumption cannot be neglected, and need to be reported to your physician immediately in cases where seen.

• Allergy: Avocado allergy is rare, and most commonly occurs in individuals allergic to latex and its proteins. Allergic symptoms like skin rashes, reddening, sneezing, coughing, and fever may be experienced. You are advised to report such symptoms after avocado consumption to your physician immediately.
• Intestinal disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Avocado contains some carbohydrates that people with IBS may not be able to digest. People with diabetes may have IBS in long-standing cases. Consult a doctor before consuming avocado for such conditions.

How to Eat An Avocado

• Buying the appropriately ripe avocado is essential before consumption. Stores generally have raw ones, which you need to store in your house for a few days for ripening. Ripe, ready-to-consume avocado is generally dark green or black and feels like a tomato on squeezing.
• Avocados can be consumed during breakfast, lunch, and dinner in salads and sweet and savoury dishes.
• You can use mashed avocado as a spread over lightly toasted bread, sandwiches, and buns.
• They can be combined with chicken and other white meat in the main course.
• You can mash it with a punch of lime juice and have it as a dip for an evening snack.
• Avocados are healthy as smoothies

How to Cut An Avocado

• Cut the Avocado lengthwise from top to down. It contains a hard seed. Hence, it is difficult to cut it through the middle.
• Make slices in a similar way all the way around. Pull the two ends apart.
• Use a spoon to scoop the mushy fruit part. Ensure to remove the skin to scrape out the entire fruit’s contents.
• Eat avocado in the form of slices, cubes, or mashed.

Bottomline

it is an essential superfood with a high nutritious value. It is greatly recommended for individuals with diabetes and related complications. Due to its low sugar content and high fibre and water content, it has massive benefits with respect to reducing sugar and cholesterol levels and promoting weight loss. So the answer to the question "Is Avocado good for people with diabetes?" is Most Definitely!

FAQ's

How much sugar in avocado?

Compared to many other fruits, avocado sugar content low sugar content. Typically, a medium-sized avocado has 0.3 grammes of sugar in it. Avocados include a large amount of fibre, which is good for your digestive system and may help control your blood sugar levels.

is avocado good for high blood pressure?

Yes, avocados can help with high blood pressure management. Bananas are a good source of potassium, a mineral that works to balance sodium's effects and reduce blood pressure.

is avocado good for type 2 diabetes?

Definitely, people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from including avocados in their diet. They have a low glycemic index, making them less likely than high-carbohydrate diets to trigger blood sugar spikes, which is a mineral that can lower blood pressure by balancing the effects of sodium.