What happens to blood sugar when eating dried fruit?

Fresh fruit is rich in nutrients, fiber and antioxidants, helps reduce inflammation, is beneficial for health and is recommended in diabetic diets. Similarly, dried fruit also provides fiber, micronutrients and antioxidant compounds. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood, limiting sudden blood sugar fluctuations.

Dried fruit also contains potassium, magnesium, iron and antioxidant polyphenols, which contribute to cell protection, improve insulin sensitivity and support blood sugar control.

However, according to Eating Welldried fruit often undergoes processing, which may be laced with sugar or sweeteners. When dried, most of the water is removed, causing the natural sugars to become more concentrated. Therefore, just a small amount of dried fruit can contain the same or more sugar than fresh fruit. For example, 100 g of raisins contains significantly more carbohydrates than 100 g of fresh grapes, which can easily cause blood sugar to rise quickly.

The high water content in fresh fruit helps slow down the digestive process and dilutes natural sugar, without causing a sudden increase in blood sugar. In contrast, dried fruit is high in sugar, which is digested more quickly, which can cause a sudden hyperglycemic reaction.

In addition, some heat-sensitive antioxidants such as vitamin C may be lost during the drying process, reducing the nutritional value and anti-inflammatory effects of the fruit.

Theo Very Well Health, To avoid the impact on blood sugar when eating dried fruit, diabetics should pay attention to the glycemic index (GI) of this dish. The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Foods have a high GI of 70 or higher, a medium GI of 56-69, and a low GI of 55 or less. Raisins, dried jackfruit, and dried ripe mangoes usually have a higher sugar content and GI index, while guavas, green mangoes, apples, and plums will have a low GI.

To take advantage of the benefits of dried fruit without the impact on blood sugar, you should choose one without added sugar and eat about a handful at a time. Combined with protein or healthy fats help slow digestion and reduce the rate of glucose absorption into the blood.

Some good combinations include peanut butter bread with raisins, Greek yogurt with walnuts and dried blueberries, or oatmeal with dried apples and chia seeds.