Medjool Dates

[Nicholas Hoare]

I love eating dates and was wondering if they pose any problems for type 2 diabetes ?

Thanks

 

[izzzi]

Dates contain quite a lot sugar which makes them unfavorable , best check with your meter if that makes sense.

 

[Fallgal]

I love dates as well and used to eat them often when I was a raw foodist. As izzzi says, they are high in sugar. However, I do still have a few per week, but chop it up and add to a salad with lots of added fat (oil) and it doesn't spike me too badly. You'll just have to test and see what it does to your readings.

 

[J19821]

Please test after you eat them as mejdool dates do not spike my bs levels. They are high calorie and so be careful to count your calories.

 

[Resurgam]

They are about 2/3rds carbs, so very high - and as it is mostly fructose even if they do not show up as a spike in BG they will probably just be stored in your liver.

 

[NicoleC1971]

If you could mix the very sweet dates up with some nuts that could help slow doen your bg rise but testing 2 hours afterwards will be the proof!

 

[Resurgam]

If you could mix the very sweet dates up with some nuts that could help slow doen your bg rise but testing 2 hours afterwards will be the proof!

Not really - the sugar is fructose - stored in the liver. BG might well show no spike - and at 2 hours any spike from a sugar would be long gone anyway, but they are still 2/3rds carbs. I think two of them would be my entire day's 'allowance' - not worth it for me.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Anything that contains fructose is not a wise choice for T2's because it is a major contributor to fatty liver, which basically means there will be insulin resistance. If the insulin cannot get access to the liver it cannot trigger the liver to stop dumping its stored glucose - hence there will be long drawn out liver dumps. The liver treats fructose in the same way it treats alcohol, regarding it as toxic and converting it to fat.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Not really - the sugar is fructose - stored in the liver. BG might well show no spike - and at 2 hours any spike from a sugar would be long gone anyway, but they are still 2/3rds carbs. I think two of them would be my entire day's 'allowance' - not worth it for me.

That's true! Fructose is bad news in concentrated doses. But I think there must be sugar in there too if they can cure me of a hypo?!

 

[Bluetit1802]

That's true! Fructose is bad news in concentrated doses. But I think there must be sugar in there too if they can cure me of a hypo?!

Yes there will be sugar no doubt. They aren't 100% fructose.

 

[Resurgam]

That's true! Fructose is bad news in concentrated doses. But I think there must be sugar in there too if they can cure me of a hypo?!

Most sugars and sugar like substances have a scientific name ending in 'ose' - glucose sucrose fructose maltose dextrose etc. I don't know the 'mechanics' of hypo treatment, but any sugar should counteract the effects of insulin, I'd have thought

 

[NicoleC1971]

Even table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose and its the fructose part which is thought to be the diabetes causing part due to its ability to be metabolised directly by the liver - straight into liver fat if not used hence adding to insulin resistance whilst the glucose (carbs) part then causes excess insulin to be needed again leading to insulin resistance.
I find them intensely sweet but also fibrous so one is enough.