Diabetic people usually self manage their blood glucose levels by
monitoring their own carbohydrate intake, for example, by counting the
grams of carbohydrate in a particular fruit.
Glycaemic index is the food classification according to how quickly a
particular carbohydrate raises the blood glucose levels (or how quickly
the carbohydrate turns into sugar). The higher the glycaemic index
number, the greater the blood sugar response. Foods with a glycaemic
index of 70 or more are said to be ‘high’; glycaemic index of between 55
and 70 are ‘moderate’ and a glycaemic index of less than 55 are said to
be ‘low’.
However, a better indication of how quickly the effect of a standard
portion of the food (for example, watermelon) raises your blood glucose
is the glycemic load. In addition, the glycaemic load is the amount of
the carbohydrate food multiplied by that food’s glycemic index. The
glycaemic load of a food of more than 20 is said to be ‘high’; between
11 and 19 is ‘moderate’ and if it is 10 or less then it is considered
low. Generally, you should try and aim to keep your glycaemic load to
below 15.
Watermelon has a high glycaemic index, but the glycemic load per food
serving (size of 120g) is only 4, which is relatively low. So unless
you intend to eat lots of the watermelon at a particular time, it will
not have a big impact on your blood glucose levels. However, due to
watermelon being high in sugar, you should still limit the quantity you
intend to eat.
If you are a lover of watermelons then remember to monitor your blood
sugar levels after eating it, so that you can monitor its affects. If
after eating the watermelon, it raises your blood sugar, limit the
amount of watermelon you eat next time. Also, you could combine the
watermelon with a protein or fat, as this will reduce the speed of sugar
absorption.
Watermelon contains carbohydrate and of late
carbohydrate has become a dirty word. Of course, some carbohydrate-rich
foods, such as breads and other products made with white flour, are bad
news. But others, including vegetables, whole grains, beans, and fruits,
are a very important part of a diabetic diet. It all depends on how a
particular carbohydrate is metabolised in the body.
Although all carbohydrates are ultimately broken down into glucose and
other simple sugars, the rate at which this happens varies. Some cause a
rapid and dramatic rise in blood sugar levels, while others are
digested more slowly and their sugars are released into the bloodstream
more gradually. Several factors determine where a food falls in this
spectrum, including the type of carbohydrate and amount of fibre it
contains, how much it has been processed, how long it is cooked, even
how acidic it is.
A means of evaluating this and thereby assigning a set of values to
foods is called the glycaemic index. The higher the glycaemic index of a
particular food, the faster and more dramatic the rise in blood sugar
after eating it. However, because it ignores the amount of carbohydrate
in an average serving of a food, it needed a little refining. Enter the
glycaemic load. The glycaemic load of a food takes into account both the
glycaemic index and the number of carbohydrates per serving, giving us a
more reasonable indication of a foods impact on blood sugar.
Watermelon, has a high glycaemic index. However, a typical serving,
because so much of it is water, contains very little carbohydrate and
thus has a low glycaemic load. Three-quarters of a cup of watermelon
balls has fewer than nine grams of carbohydrate.
You would have to eat a heck of a lot of watermelon to have the same
impact on your blood sugar that a single slice of bread would have. This
means that watermelon, carrots, and some other high-glycaemic index
foods that diabetics may previously have shied away from are perfectly
acceptable.
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