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Healthy eating: Can diabetics eat prunes

Fruits are considered generally healthy and everyone is encouraged to take their fruits. Fruits are packed with nutrients that help your body to fight disease and stay strong.

However, when it comes to diabetes, you often have to stop before eating certain foods, especially when they are sweet. So can diabetics eat prunes? Definitely yes! Diabetics should include prunes in their diet. 

Prunes are dried plums. Prunes are a good source of fiber and vitamins. They also have complex starch. Therefore, diabetics are advised to watch their portions. Talk with your doctor or dietician to figure out how many prunes you can eat per serving. Every diabetic has distinct needs, therefore consulting your dietician is important. 

Diabetes is a disease that causes a decrease in insulin in the body. Insulin helps in the absorption of sugars into the body. When there is insufficient insulin in the bloodstream, these sugars cause blood sugar spikes. This is what diabetics constantly experience when they do moot watch their diet.

How prunes help control diabetes

All diabetics are advised to include prunes in their diet because prunes help control your sugar blood sugars. 

Failing to control diabetics can be detrimental for the patient. It may lead to grave consequences such as heart disease, stroke, organ failure, and loss of eyesight. 

Here’s is how prunes help control diabetes;

  1. They slow down the absorption of sugars, therefore, preventing blood sugar spikes. Prunes are rich in fiber and have a low score in the glycemic index. The glycemic index score is the measure of how fast foods can affect your blood sugars. Foods with high glycemic index cause blood sugars spikes and therefore discouraged for diabetics. Prunes produce energy slowly in to your body. The digestion of prunes takes place slowly. Therefore, eating prunes will have you energized for longer and have stable blood sugars. 
  2. They help you feel satiated for longer. Foods’s rich in fiber have that effect on the stomach. This will prevent you from taking many snacks in between meals. Remember, as a diabetic, you have to keep tabs on your carb intake, therefore you have to account for the carbs you take in snacks too. Prunes will therefore feel satisfied for longer, helping you manage your blood sugars and control weight. 
  3. Help control weight. Saturated fats and refined carbs can make a person gain weight in a short time; therefore, diabetics are advised to avoid foods containing these nutrients. Saturated fats are associated with the development of heart disease which is accelerated by diabetes. Prunes are low in saturated fats and only have complex starch, therefore have a good effect on you. 

How to include prunes in your diabetic diet

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that needs serious dietary changes. If one has not been keen on eating fruits, one must find ways of including prunes, raisins, and other dried fruits. One must also exercise regularly and maintain blood sugars low. 

As discussed, prunes are very important to your diet because they offer several health benefits and help improve digestion. Some people may have trouble adding prunes to their diet. Here are some easy ways to include prunes in your diabetic diet;

  • Take them as a snack. You can take your prunes in between meals to help you keep your energy levels high. 
  • Add prunes to your breakfast oatmeal. You can add extra flavor to your oatmeal by adding prunes
  • You can mix prunes with nuts, raisins, apricots, and other dried fruits to make a dish more healthy for a diabetic. For instance, doctors advise high glycemic foods such as cereal, chips, or pasta with high fiber meals. 
  • Add prunes to baked foods such as potatoes!
  • Take prunes in the form of prune juice or smoothies!
  • Add to different stews or salads!
  • Eat prunes in the form of prune butter or jam.

These are fun ways that will ensure that you gradually increase your fiber intake and take in enough water. 

Can diabetics eat prunes – health benefits of prunes

Can diabetics eat prunes

Prunes are very nutritious; containing over 15 different minerals and vitamins. Here is the nutrient profile of prunes in a 1-ounce serving;

  • Calories 67
  • Carbs 18g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Sugar 11g
  • Vitamin A 4% of the RDI
  • Potassium 6% of the RDI
  • Vitamin K 21% of the RDI
  • Phosphorus 2% of the RDI
  • Copper 4% of the RDI

In general, prunes and plums have different vitamin and mineral content. Prunes have more vitamin K and are slightly higher in B vitamins and minerals. Also, prunes are high in calories, fiber, and carbs compared to fresh plums. 

  • Prunes and prune juice help manage constipation. Prunes are well known for relieving constipation. This is because of tier high fiber content. One prune gives about 1gram of insoluble fiber; meaning it does not mix with water. 
  • Prunes are also anti-oxidants. They help reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage by free radicals. Diabetes has been proved to cause inflammation, therefore prunes are very important in your diabetic diet.
  • Promote bone health. Prunes can reduce the risk of developing bone conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. They also help prevent bone loss and reverse bone damage that has already occurred. 
  • Promote heart health. Prunes are also beneficial to heart health by reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This can be beneficial to a diabetic because diabetes accelerates these conditions. 

When it comes to the question, ‘can a diabetic eat prunes?’ here are the key takeaways:

  1. Definitely include prunes in your diabetic diet. Combine it with high glycemic foods such as cereal or pasta to reduce their impact on blood sugar
  2. Prunes have very many health benefits to the body. They help manage blood sugars levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, promote bone health, prevent constipation and inflammation
  3. Watch your portions because prunes also contain carbs. Eat it as a side meal or a snack.