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Is it OK to eat fruit?

R

roast beef in frogland

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My doctor says the fruit is OK to eat as it's fructose and not the type of sugar that needs insulin to dissipate it.

However, I have seen that type 2 suffers should not eat fruit because of the sugar.

I have no problem going without sugar, didn't take much before. But I do eat a lot of fruit.

Anyone know?

Thanks.
 
Frogland, I would first ask whether you are a Type 1 or a Type 2?

Type 1s can usually take insulin for their intake of fruits.

As a Type 2, I have needed to restrict fruits to only occasionally having a few berries. All other fruits will send my numbers sky-high.

If you are a type 2, I kind of wonder about your doctor's advice. Not all doctors or dieticians for that matter will know too much about diabetes diets. It is very often old lore they are pushing. And it is perfectly possible to live without fruits (I miss them though).

Your meter will be your best friend here and show you how fruits may raise your blood sugars. Personally, I take supplements now to offset my lack of fruits.

annelise
 
Well you could test, eat some then test but fructose is sugar so......not really. Not lots! Berries are supposed to be the best. Your doc is a moron and should know this. I agree with Andy!
 
Stewed rhubarb has fewer carbs per 100g than strawberries if you can eat it without adding sugar. I notice that only non-tropical fruit was listed as something to eat on that diet sheet within the Southport GP's report so you could try a small apple or pear. I believe nectarines are lower than both those per 100g so am going to test myself with a small one should they ever ripen! It's probably a case of eat and test. My grandad is also T2 and his DN told hm to eat fruit as dessert to a main meal and not a snack- whether that would help BS, I don't know.
 
Your doctor is partially correct. Fructose us unregulated by the body and cannot use insulin to reduce the level from your blood. Unfortunately for t2s your resistance also means your cells won't process it either properly.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Your doctor is correct to say that fructose is not an insulin secretagogue, ie eating it doesn't cause insulin to be released. But, it's not the full story. Glycolysis, the way Glucose is metabolised is different from Fructolysis, ie the way Fructose is metabolised. Glucose is metabolised widely in the body. Fructose is metabolised almost exclusively in the liver, to replenish liver glycogen and triglyceride synthesis.

This ultimately affects blood sugars though and refined fructose can lead to hypertriglyceridemia. Usually, as diabetics, we are trying to get liver triglycerides down and not wanting to elevate them. Refined fructose sources such as corn syrup should be avoided.

When it comes to the unrefined sources, ie fruits, as with starches, it depends on your own personal metabolism, the amount of damage you have as a diabetic, usually a big unknown, the amount of fruit that you eat and the type of fruit you eat. There are many studies on the effects on BG levels of different types of fruit. Tropical and sub tropical fruits tend to be not so good for diabetics.

Have a look at the table 3 in this paper, A Study of Blood Glucose Response Following Temperate and Tropical Fruit Ingestion in Healthy Adults. You'll see that on a scale where glucose is 100, some fruits such as Green Pears are as low as 18 and bananas and grapes are in the 60s.

I stick to apples, pears, plums, cherries, berries and the occasional orange, which is the highest at 47. As always, quantity is a major factor.
 
I'm type 2, have been for about 10 years plus the time it went unnoticed.

We live in France and the medical system here is rated as the finest in the world (UN).

My doctor, also a personal friend will not give advice if he's not sure. He will check with a specialist and ring me back.

I don't use a meter on the basis that if it's high and I take no sugar what do I do, I have regular blood sugar level tests. The results are a bit higher than"normal" but not by much and he's happy. I'll not have any fruit 2 days before next test and we'll see what the reading is.

Only eat soft fruit as I'm not a fan of apples and pears.

OK, where are my grapes

Many thanks, food for thought (aaaahhhhh)
 
First of all, I'm not convinced that replacing glucose with fructose is even a good idea

My doctor says the fruit is OK to eat as it's fructose and not the type of sugar that needs insulin to dissipate it.
Click to expand...
Tell your doctor that he's an idiot - the fructose content varies with fruits, but as a general rule of thumb 50% of the total sugar will be glucose (either free or bonded sucrose).

If you are trying to consume more fructose and less glucose, you might as well eat table sugar (or HFCS) rather than follow the advice to eat only fruit.

[Similarly, just because glucose is also known as "grape sugar" doesn't mean that grapes are 100% glucose - grapes are roughly 50% fructose, 50% glucose]
 



oh dear. you dont test because you dont eat sugar? this sounds reasonable? why would you not eat fruit two days before a test and eat it other times? to trick the test? who re you trying to kid? the phlebotomist? there is sugar in many forms not just in a white bag
 
I thought the blood test was affected by the previous twelve weeks, so no fruit 2 days before would be pointless.
 
It was suggested above that I test after not eating fruit to see if it was at the same level.

I was going to ask my doctor, but twelve weeks to flush out anything from the system sounds a bit long.

Anyway, if I stop eating fruit before the next test and it's lower then I know it is increasing my blood sugar levels. It may not be right down but will indicate if it's going down. If I have to stop for more than a few days then I will.

Andy, I'm not tricking anyone. I asked what I thought was a reasonable question. Everyone else gave reasonable advice but you seem to have misunderstood the question and my posts.

Anyway, my doctor is sure that eating fruit is not dramatically increasing my sugar levels and is not doing any other damage. My detailed eye exams (at an ophthalmic surgeon, not Spec Savers) shows no damage at all.

Thanks all
 
What have your hba1c results been over the past 10 years?
 
12 weeks is not a bit long, that's how far back the HbA1c test covers. You really need a meter to test for yourself, because that's the only way you will find out what affects your BG's. We are all different. I can eat some fruit, though as Andy says, mostly berries. I cannot eat bread, potatoes, pasta rice or sugar. The doctor's tests would not have told me this, I found out for myself by buying a meter.

If you are tricking someone it's only yourself, so that's up to you. My detailed eye exams are fine also. I want them to stay that way.
 
Andy, apology accepted. I don't want to upset anyone.

Just to expand on not testing. Before moving to France we lived in Sheffield. When I was diagnosed I got a testing kit. After a few months I thought, OK, what do I do if it's high, I cannot reduce my sugar intake as I don't (knowingly) have any. So, I went to the doctor and he agreed, only point of testing is if you can cut down on sugar if the test is high.

Just an aside. In Sheffield I was not on any medication. When we got to France we went to register with the doctor. He was a bit (more that a bit) surprised that I was not on Metrformine. I was put on it straight away.

A few years later we had a doctor stay in one of gites. I asked him why I was not put on Metformine in the UK. His reply was very disturbing. The reason was because once the doctor puts me on medication for Diabetes I would get free prescriptions and the cost comes out of his budget. At first I didn't believe this but the UK doctor assured me it was true.

At least in France the doctors run the system, not managers and accountants. If they think you need anything you get it. If you go to the doctor and he's not happy with your heart or he thinks there's a chance of cancer you are seeing the heart specialist that day or in the cancer clinic scanner that day (or next if it's afternoon)
 
Before she left Avocado Sevenfold asked if you knew your HbA1c results over the last 10 years. Were you in the normal non-diabetic range like some of us?
 
Zand, I've already said that I'm not tricking anyone. I have a doctor telling me I can eat fruit and I've seen on the TV that I shouldn't.


So I ask here.

Then suggest that I stop eating fruit before my next blood test yo see if the sugar level falls. In France we have laboratories in every town for blood tests. You are given the results (In France you are responsible for looking after your records). The result sheet has the expected range of the test and the last result and date. If you want a full history the lab will print it out for you.

Changing subjects why does this forum revert to a type size that's so small I need binoculars to see it?
 
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