Many diabetics consider fruits as their "enemy" in daily life because fruits contain high sugar content which may affect blood sugar stability, so they dare not touch them at all. However, fresh fruits are not only tempting but also rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which are beneficial to human health - completely giving them up would be such a pity.

Zeng Jing, Director of the Nutrition Department at Guangzhou Armed Police Hospital, stated that diabetics are not completely prohibited from eating fruits. The key is to control total food intake and master the proper "techniques" for fruit consumption. When done correctly, it not only prevents blood sugar spikes but can also help lower blood glucose levels.

Consuming Three Whole Fruits Weekly May Reduce Diabetes Risk

As early as 2013, the British Medical Journal published findings from a large prospective cohort study where American researchers tracked 187,382 participants for 18-24 years.

The follow-up study revealed that consuming three portions of fruit weekly was associated with a 0.98 relative risk for type 2 diabetes, regardless of fruit type. Certain fruits showed particularly significant correlations with reduced type 2 diabetes risk, ranked by effectiveness from highest to lowest: blueberries, grapes and raisins, prunes, apples and pears, bananas, grapefruit, plums/peaches/apricots, and oranges.

Zeng Jing explained that in clinical practice, doctors recommend fruit choices for diabetic patients based on sugar content. For instance, fruits containing less than 10g of sugar per 100g are suitable for diabetic patients, including watermelon, melon, orange, lemon, grape, peach, plum, apricot, loquat, pineapple, strawberry, sugarcane, coconut, cherry, olive, etc.

Fruits containing 11-20g of sugar per 100g include banana, pomegranate, pomelo, tangerine, apple, pear, lychee, mango, etc. Diabetic patients should consume these with caution.

Fruits with over 20g of sugar per 100g should be avoided, as they are extremely high in sugar. These include dried jujube, candied jujube, dried persimmon, raisin, dried apricot, longan, etc.

Additionally, many vegetables can be consumed as fruits. Not only are they low in sugar, but they are also rich in vitamins, such as tomato, cucumber, and snake gourd, making them suitable for diabetic patients.

Choosing the Right Fruits for Diabetes - Nutritionist's 4 Important Guidelines

In addition to being selective about fruit types, there are still many "considerations" for diabetic patients when consuming fruits!

1. Avoid drinking fruit juice

Besides eating whole fruits, some diabetic patients enjoy extracting juice from fruits, sometimes even adding vegetables to make "blended juices." Experts strongly oppose such practices, as studies have confirmed that replacing whole fruits with equivalent amounts of juice can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 1.08 times.

Zeng Jing explained that the reason fruits can lower blood sugar is primarily because they are rich in dietary fiber, which promotes gastrointestinal motility, accelerates food passage through the digestive tract, reduces nutrient absorption in the intestines, and consequently lowers blood sugar levels.

Additionally, dietary fiber can create a feeling of fullness, naturally reducing appetite while slowing down carbohydrate absorption.

Once juiced, the fiber gets broken down and loses its intended function. Moreover, fruit juice is digested and absorbed faster than whole fruits, causing blood sugar to spike rapidly within a short period.

2. Timing of fruit consumption matters significantly

"For diabetic patients, we recommend paying special attention to when they eat fruits—avoiding consumption immediately before or after meals to prevent excessive carbohydrate intake at once," explained Zeng Jing. Generally, diabetic patients should consume fruits as "snacks between meals" or one hour before bedtime.

"Snacking" refers to eating fruit between main meals, such as 9-10 AM in the morning or 3-4 PM in the afternoon. This can help prevent hypoglycemia while ensuring blood sugar levels do not fluctuate significantly.

3. Pay attention to the amount of fruit consumed

Even when consuming fruits with the lowest sugar content, excessive intake can still lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Generally, it is recommended that diabetic patients consume 200 grams of fruit per day, while simultaneously reducing their staple food intake by 25 grams to maintain the same total calorie intake.

4. Check your blood sugar control before eating fruit

This is the most crucial point—whether you can eat fruit depends entirely on the diabetic patient's blood sugar control level. "If blood sugar control is poor, with levels already high at 10-20 or more, avoid eating fruit altogether," explains Zeng Jing. Alternatives like cucumbers, tomatoes, or grapefruit can be used instead.

Lastly, it's important to note that sugar content may vary even within the same type of fruit. It's better to choose regular tomatoes rather than cherry tomatoes, and green apples are preferable to Red Delicious apples in terms of effectiveness.