Diabetes is one such disease that needs meal plan and nutrition as the production of insulin is affected. If not taken enough care Diabetes will eventually damage kidneys and other sensitive tissues in the body. Healthy levels of sugar and glucose are maintained by insulin in our body. When the production of insulin is irregular a person is diagnosed with diabetes where his sugar intake abruptly affects his health.
The food a diabetic patient eats is very important as every food item is responsible to generate insulin within the body. Some of the important things a diabetic body needs is food with high fiber, good carbohydrates and good fat. Pear comes in a range of colors and they are inexpensive which makes them a smart addition to your meal plan.
Nutritional Facts about Pears
Each digestive body is different and need good carbohydrates. Pears is one such fruit which is packed with nutrition. It has a good carbohydrate content and 6 gm of fiber, 24% of the recommended value. Also, Pears is a good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent infections and keeps the immune system strong. Sometimes people think that since fruit naturally contains sugar, eating fruit is not appropriate for managing diabetes. This is not really true as fruit contains lots of vitamins, minerals and water. Pears has a feature of tasting sweet but does not spike the blood sugar levels. Various studies have showed that Pears help manage 2 types of diabetes, one is to help reduce hypertension caused during diabetes and the other is to deal with effects of bacterium Helicobacter pylori which is associated with intestinal ulcers.
Benefits of Pears for Diabetes
- Naturally occurring phenolic compounds in Pears are known to provide antioxidant benefits which fights diabetes. These compounds mitigate various metabolic and oxidative stressors.
- Research says the Bartlett and Starkrimson pears as a whole fruit potentially provide control over early stage diabetes.
- It is also believed that eating pears daily could help control blood glucose levels such that no medication is required for pre-diabetes.
- Pears is rich in Pectin which is one of the richest soluble fiber sources and is considered beneficial for pre-diabetic patients.
- Pears have low glycemic index and are full of essential minerals like Vitamin E, K, folate, beta-carotene, choline, lutein and retinol. Vitamin K helps avoid blood clotting.
- According to diabetes care a medium-size pear ranks 38 on the glycemic index and is considered a low glycemic food.
- One medium size pears contain 100 calories and 26 gms of carbohydrates. Pear offers both fiber and carbohydrates in right portion.
- Whenever a diabetes person craves for sweet they can have pears as it is very sweet yet healthy.
- The fiber rich pears helps reduce cholesterol and control body weight and blood sugar. A meal or snack with fiber slowdowns the absorption of carbs into the blood stream over a long period of time. This reduces the spike in blood glucose.
- Pears is also known to help with ulcers and also a strong probiotic source of food.
- A medium sized pear provides 200 milligrams of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that keeps your heart beat normally and keeps your muscles working the way they are supposed to.
- The fiber in Pear also helps reduce the risk of cancer. Fermented Pear is known to control ulcer associated with Pylori bacterium.
- The other types of Pears are Bosc, Comice, Forelle, Concorde and Seckel.
- Pears especially with red skin contain carotenoids, flavanols, and anthocyanins which prevent as anti-aging agents.
Some Tips and Recipes with Pears
- A half cut pear with yogurt serves all the nutrients required for your blood and heart.
- Pear sauce made of Ginger, cardamom and pistachios provides all the nutrients with easy digestion.
- For adults over 50 the recommendation for men is 30 gms per day and 21 gms for women.
- Regular consumption of Pear also detoxes the body as they have 84% water which helps clean the intestine easily.
- The side effects of having Pears more than recommended quantity include bloating, Increase gas and diarrhea in some people.
- The pattern of taking meals everyday decides the amount of nutrients going in. Hence one must not blindly live on Pears but diversify their food and fruits.
As eating an apple a day saves a trip to doctor, a pear a day will help prevent Diabetes and reduces diabetes if a person is already suffering with one. It is not sufficient if the diabetic patient has pears and then eats all other carbohydrates like burger, pizza and rice. One must include Pear in their daily diet to act as catalyst in reducing diabetes. I hope the articles helps you improve your diet plan and make you healthy.