Last Updated on by San San

The world offers a lot of delicious fruits and vegetables for you to enjoy. There are so many preferences that can suit your taste buds. The great thing about them is they come au natural, meaning they have no added sugar or other junk in them.

However, there may be a problem. Like everything else in the world, some buts may need to be considered being a pre-diabetic dealing with high blood sugars or already being diagnosed with diabetes. Can you smash a bowlful of delicious cherries, or you were told to just have one or two, or were you told to avoid them altogether? The question is can diabetics eat cherries?

To help you better understand, “can diabetics eat cherries?” Keep reading and hopefully, you will find the answer you need to go on with planning your diet. With that being said, if your doctor has specifically instructed you to avoid cherries, then you need to have a conversation with him or her about it after you arm yourself with correct knowledge. But, remember that your doctor knows your body, so listen to your doctor whatever they advise after you ask your questions.

I Can’t Eat Fruit If I Have Diabetes?

While preparing for this article I came across this question. At first, I was just going to carry on with my research, but then I got to thinking, “how many people have been told this, and just blindly accepted it?” It’s easy to understand why people just accept advice like this especially when it is their health on the line.

I decided that the question required a little bit of digging and attention because that just did not sound right to me. Often people with diabetes get told to avoid fruits because of the high sugar content. Yes, all fruits contain natural sugars but, they also contain a good mix of minerals, vitamins, and fibre as well that could do wonders for a person – even with diabetes.

Eating fruits, and vegetables have been associated with lowering the risks of several health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, strokes, obesity, and certain cancers. All of which are concerns for those living with diabetes. Fruits and vegetables come loaded with things like soluble, and insoluble fibres which promote good bowel and gut health.

So, isn’t it right to question why you are being told to avoid certain fruits? Maybe, the better solution is to know the right portion sizes that can work for you even if you are diabetic. Food consumed at a lower portion can be healthy, and not totally bad for you at all.

There are so many ways to include cherries in a healthy diet that is both delicious and enjoyable while including fruits and vegetables in your daily plan. As with anything, talk to your doctor about safe blood sugar levels, and discuss serving suggestions as well. You can eat fruit as a diabetic – it should be considered almost necessary. Head on over to Diabetes.org.uk and read this great article that goes into great detail about diabetics and fruit.

Are Cherries Good For You?

Enjoying a piece of fruit, or a delightful fruit salad as a dessert is a great way to please that sweet tooth and get some extra nutrients too. They contain carbohydrates as well, which means that you have to include them in your meal plan.

All fruits have naturally occurring sugars, this includes cherries. If you cannot access fresh cherries and are buying canned fruit/cherries, make sure words like “packed in its juices”, “unsweetened” or “no sugar added” appear on the label.

The other thing you must be aware of is the variety of cherries you are consuming. Due to the way they are prepared, they have varying amounts of sugar contained within. For example, having a snack of just 5 maraschino cherries is going to smack you with 11g of carbohydrates which equates to 2.5 teaspoons of sugar! A cup of canned cherries, with heavy syrup, is going to be 60g of carbs equaling about 15 teaspoons of sugar. You see how they can differ greatly depending on how they are prepared for consumption.

Cherries can be a healthy snack choice as with any fruit you may prefer. The main point though is to closely watch the carbohydrates they are going to give you. That will depend on how many cherries you are planning to consume, how often you can eat cherries, and what type of cherries you are eating. So, are cherries healthy for you? Yes, they can be if consumed properly and not loaded with sugar. With the right portion sizes, it will be magical.

What Kind of Cherries Are Better For Diabetics?

what kind of cherries are better for diabetics

Fresh sour cherries sit relatively low on the GI scale coming in at 22. With this being said, this number will differ depending on the type of cherries you eat. The more processed they are, the more carbohydrates and sugars they are likely to contain. So, it’s right to start digging into which variety of cherries is best for you as a diabetic. One cup of sweet cherries has about 25g of carbs which equates to 6 teaspoons of sugar, while one cup of sour cherries has 19g of carbs which is the same as 5 teaspoons of sugar.

Then you have dried cherries and frozen cherries. These are alternatives that allow you to still enjoy this fruit even when they are out of season. But make sure you are reading labels correctly. Select frozen cherries that have no added sugars. Two types of cherries that you should avoid are canned cherries and glace, or candied cherries.

Canned cherries often contain added sugar that could cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. Candied cherries are heavily processed, which means they are going to contain a lot of added sugar that you do not need, and are heavily dangerous to your health as a diabetic. The best kind of cherries for diabetics is going to be the fresh sour cherries, with fresh sweet cherries coming in second. Dried cherries are the better choice when they are out of season.

Final Thought – Can Diabetics Eat Cherries?

Cherries can be a great part of your diet. They provide you with Vitamin C, Potassium, Fiber, as well as antioxidants. Naturally, you want to make sure you pay attention to portion sizes to keep your levels in an acceptable range. Fruits, in general, should be considered essential for diabetics due to their health benefits.

As a diabetic, you can surely eat cherries! You should question anyone that tells you to avoid fruits as a diabetic. The evidence is there to support the health benefits, and the necessity of them being part of a healthy diet plan. As always though, you need to track your levels, as well as your consumption amount of cherries, and other fruits too. They do pack natural sugars and carbohydrates and are most often better consumed fresh.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here