Many of us are doubtful if a watermelon is really good for diabetes, given the fact that it tastes sweet, and sugary foods are one of the culprits of diabetes.
Yes! Diabetics can have watermelon. Watermelon will be a good snack for people with diabetes.
- It contains a good amount of water (90%), which makes a suitable snack in the summertime.
- It also contains fewer calories, 100 grams of watermelon contains only 30 calories.
- Watermelon’s calorie content is lesser than medium size idli ( 70 calories) or a slice of bread (70 calories).
- Watermelon is a natural food.
When it comes to blood sugar control, the glycemic index (GI) of every food is measured.
The glycemic index shows how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar. GI takes mainly ‘quality’ of carbohydrates in a given meal. The higher the GI, the greater will be the rise of sugar after consumption.
Watermelon’s GI is 72, almost like white bread GI (73). Then the question comes, is watermelon bad from sugar point of view? The answer is ‘No’.
For every food, we also have to see glycemic load (GL) value along with glycemic index (GI).
GL considers quantity along with the quality of carbohydrates in a given meal. So, you have to be mindful of the food’s portion size.
- For the same above example for one serving of white bread (one slice) GL is 10 but one serving of watermelon (2 cups) GL is 4. This is the difference.
- Even though the GI of watermelon is high, its glycemic load is low.
- That is why people with diabetes can eat watermelon.
Along with the advantage mentioned above, watermelon provides
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B5
- Potassium
- Copper
- Also has an antioxidant property (lycopene).
Watermelon can improve blood pressure level, alleviate muscle soreness, promotes skin healthiness, fights against free radicals, and prevents the growth of some cancer cells.
The bottom line is, people with diabetes can eat watermelon as it is providing lesser calories along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant properties.
It will be better if we can reduce preceding or after meals a little bit when we are adding watermelon as a snack in between to balance the calorie intake.
