Generally, people with diabetes are advised to eat foods that assist them in controlling their blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol, and blood pressure. This is indeed the right way to manage diabetes, avoid complications, and live a healthy life. More and more diabetics are increasing adopting avocado in their diet. This creamy green colored fruit comes loaded with vitamins, heart-healthy fats, and nutrients. Continue reading to know more about the advantages of avocado for diabetics.
Nutritional value in Avocados
1 cup of avocado, or 150 grams of avocado contains:
- 72 g of carbohydrates
- Below one gram of sugar
- 3 grams of fiber
- 22 grams of fat, out of which 19 grams is unsaturated fat, and
- 240 calories
The low carb content, and high healthy fats, and fiber makes avocado diabetes friendly fruit. However, as it is rich in calories, people should consume it in moderate amounts so that it doesn’t raise their blood glucose levels.
Pair avocado with low GI foods to keep blood sugar in safe limits. The high fiber, and healthy fat takes longer to digest this fruit that leads to slow release of sugar in the bloodstream.
Benefits of eating Avocado in Diabetes
Avocados offer numerous benefits due to its high nutritional value. Healthy fats, and fiber, and presence of phytonutrients makes it a beneficial food for Type 2 diabetes. Addition of Avocado to the diet aids in losing weight, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower cholesterol.
Improved insulin sensitivity
Loss of weight can enhance insulin sensitivity and lessen chances of developing serious complications of diabetes. The good fats present in avocado gives you a feeling of fullness for a longer time.
So, when you eat less, you consume less calories, and manage your blood sugar, and insulin levels. The monounsaturated fat, or healthy fats aids your body in making the best use of insulin. Due to this reason, inclusion of Avocado is a healthful inclusion in a diabetic diet.
Does not increase blood sugar
One of the most important benefits of Avocados is that they are low in carbs. This implies that they have very less effect on blood glucose levels. High amount of fibers makes it a slow digesting food. When this food is digested slowly in the body, it releases sugar gradually in the bloodstream and thereby prevent in an abrupt increase in blood glucose.
Loaded with Fiber
In addition to reduction in blood sugar levels, fiber also aids in digestion, and prevents digestion related issues like constipation that is very commonly seen in diabetics. ½ of a small avocado provides only 5.9 grams of carbs and 4.6 grams of fiber. This rich fiber content helps in the reduction of A1c levels, and fasting blood glucose levels.
Healthy fats
Poor nutrition can be the reason for imbalanced blood sugar levels in the body. Avocados contains heathy fats in the form of polyunsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fat. It also boosts the defense mechanisms, and stabilize the different systems in the body.
These healthy fats increase HDL (high density cholesterol) or healthy cholesterol levels in the body. It brings down low density cholesterol or bad cholesterol levels that are linked to causing heart disease, stroke and diabetes in people. In this way, Avocado makes an important food for diabetics.
What should be the ideal dosage of Avocado in a day?
By incorporating fiber, and protein rich foods in your diet, with limited amounts of Avocado, you can make your meal healthier. Keep the calorie and carb count in mind when adding Avocado in the diet. The FDA’s recommends to eat 1/5th of a medium sized avocado that provides around fifty calories.
What is the best way to include Avocado into your diet?
Avocado are a good replacement for butter, mayonnaise, or cheese on your toast. Another way to add avocado is in your smoothie as a substitute to milk to get a blast of fiber, phytochemicals, and nutrients.
In this way, you can reduce saturated fat, and calories, while getting the healthy fats, fiber and other nutrition present in it. It will make your stomach feel fuller, reduce unnecessary eating and keeps blood sugar balanced.
Conclusion
Avocados are delicious, and creamy superfood that has plentiful of nutrients, fiber, and vitamins in it. The low-carbohydrate level, and high-fiber makes it ideal for achieving stability in blood glucose. The healthy fats contained in it aids you to use insulin in right amounts, and prevent complications of diabetes such as stroke, and heart attack effectively.