Juices are very healthy drinks as long as you don’t abuse refined sugar or replace it with healthier sugars. However, it is always more advantageous for the body to consume fresh fruits. Why? Because they contain a lot of natural fiber and bioflavonoids that help control the glycemic response in the blood, but these are lost when squeezing the juices.
We all like a refreshing juice in the morning, with lunch or during the day to hydrate ourselves. However, we have always heard that for some people juices are restricted drinks due to their high sugar content. But… how true is this?
Diabetes is a very common disease nowadays, which arises when insulin levels drop (either due to resistance or total absence of insulin). Diabetics follow a special diet to control their blood glucose levels, and therefore regulate the consumption of certain foods, including juices. However, some juices can be beneficial to level blood sugar when there is a sudden drop.
Whether or not you have diabetes, if you want to maintain a healthy life, we bring you these 20 fruit juices for diabetics. I invite you to try these natural drinks whose attributes will keep your glucose levels stable as long as you consume them in moderation and your GP has not ordered anything else.
Is it advisable to consume fruit juices if you are diabetic?
Unfortunately, consuming juices is not recommended, but that does not mean that there are fruits that are prohibited for diabetics or anything like that. Why it is not recommended? Because juices in general contain a lot of sugar (the natural one from the fruit, also known as fructose, and the added one, whether refined or not) and they also lose natural fiber and bioflavonoids during the smoothie process. That is, ingesting a few sips of juice is similar to consuming 2 or 3 fruits but with little fiber. What if there is almost no fiber? There are no substances that control the intake of sugar in the body or its derived insulin response. Therefore, it is really recommended to consume the whole fruit, as it provides many nutrients, fiber, antioxidants and also contributes to the control of blood glucose.
However, although juices are not the best dietary option for someone with diabetic condition, they are not radically prohibited either, but must be ingested in a very controlled manner and always under the prior medical supervision of diabetes, whatever the type. The most recommended sugar-free juices for diabetics are the natural ones, since the industrial ones have a lot of sugar and chemical additives. An average of the recommended consumption of unsweetened natural juice is once a week.
On the other hand, adding certain foods to natural juices favors the control of blood glucose levels. Two excellent options are ginger and cinnamon as they do not contain sugar and lower the glycemic index of the food. On the other hand, if you prefer to reinforce the nutrients of the juice and add cleansing qualities to it, add a teaspoon of hemp protein or spiraling powder. Other alternatives for your juices are flaxseed, basil, stevia, phylum, mint or chia. Remember that stevia is a natural sweetener that lowers blood sugar levels, which favors diabetes control while sweetening beverages.
Advice: For diabetic people it is not advisable to eat fruits in syrup.
Natural juices for diabetes: a great alternative is green juices
Green juices or green juices, unlike fruit juices, are an excellent alternative for diabetics. Why? Because these juices come from vegetables, which stand out for having very few carbohydrates (and therefore have a low glycemic index), abundant chlorophyll, essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene, folic acid…. among others. These substances fight many of the organic disorders generated by diabetes. For this reason, here I suggest several very healthy green juices for diabetics:
- Green juice detox lettuce and chayote
- Watercress and cucumber smoothie
- spinach detox juice
- Celery juice with thermo mix
- Broccoli Cucumber Green Smoothie
- Green smoothie after training
If I am diabetic can I drink orange juice?
Surely you have ever wondered if I am diabetic can I drink orange juice. The answer is yes, although there are exceptional cases.
Orange as a fruit is beneficial for diabetics but in controlled quantities and with proper medical recommendation. This whole fruit has high levels of fiber that favors the slow absorption of sugar into the blood, and this means that it does not enter the bloodstream as quickly. In the case of orange juice it is different, since it contains more sugar than fruit and the body absorbs it more quickly due to the loss of fiber during the smoothie. Final score? A drastic alteration of glycemic levels in the blood. Therefore, it is advisable to consume it only occasionally and not daily.
However, orange juice at a specific time can save the life of a diabetic person. When? During an episode of hypoglycemia, caused by the use of insulin and a sudden reaction to it. Diabetics who need insulin are exposed to this situation, because sugar can suddenly drop drastically. In this case, consuming orange juice will raise sugar levels quickly.
As you can see, there are no fruits that are harmful to diabetics, but everything depends on the way they are consumed. What there are fruits with more or less fructose (which is always healthier than refined sugar) in their composition, but this does not mean that diabetics or those who follow a diet cannot consume them. Orange juice, for example, is not recommended for diabetics, however, the whole orange is beneficial for them and other people.
Juice recipes for diabetics: fruit and/or vegetable juices
What fruits are good for diabetes? As previously mentioned, there are fruits with more or less sugar or fructose that should be consumed more or less depending on the person and the type of diabetes, but it is important to make it clear that there is no systematic prohibition, unless the doctor specifically scheduled it because of any other related problem.
In general terms, a possible “list of fruits for diabetics” would be this: among the fruits with less sugar, apples, cherries (not in syrup), black plums, guava, grapefruit, avocado, strawberries stand out. Or strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, kiwis… These foods help control blood glucose levels and provide many nutrients. On the other hand, those that are recommended to consume in moderation due to their high sugar content are grapes, cherimoya, melon, plantain or banana, figs, dehydrated fruits, mango or pineapple.
Bearing this in mind, you can prepare delicious fruit juice recipes for diabetics, perfect for any time you feel like it, as long as you take them in moderation, such as the following so appetizing and healthy that we propose you:
- antioxidant orange juice
- Cucumber, Celery and Green Apple Smoothie
- Spinach, celery and apple juice
- original green juice
- Green apple smoothie with kiwi
- Beetroot, carrot and apple smoothie
- Beetroot and strawberry smoothie
- Cleansing carrot and apple juice
- Purifying juice of pomegranate and grapefruit
- Pomegranate and orange juice with carrot
- antioxidant carrot juice
- Kiwi and lemon water
- Cucumber water with lemon
Remember to balance your diet. If you add one juice a week, that day you should balance your sugar intake (simple and complex carbohydrates) by consuming foods that balance it. Some foods that can accompany these juices are: nuts, natural unsweetened yogurt, eggs or even whole grain bread with seeds. If in doubt ask your doctor.
Tip: Carrots are foods very rich in vitamin A, an excellent nutrient to improve diabetic conditions.
