Summer fruit as a main meal can cause blood sugar to soar and break out of thousands of killers

Fruits are sweet in the hot summer, but they are invisible killers that affect the health of diabetic patients. Doctors point out that fruits contain sugar and the amount consumed must be limited. Generally speaking, each meal should not exceed an amount of fruit of the same volume as an orange. Different fruits contain different calories and have different effects on blood sugar, so patients must not take it lightly.

Fruits are sweet in the hot summer, but they are invisible killers that affect the health of diabetic patients.

Lin Jinghan, attending physician of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Division of the Department of Internal Medicine at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, pointed out that the outpatient clinic had admitted a middle-aged woman with diabetes. Her blood sugar was usually well controlled. However, she was found to be listless and fatigued in the past two weeks. She suddenly lost 4 to 5 kilograms and was sent to the hospital emergency room due to confusion.

Taking fruit as a main meal can easily cause blood sugar to get out of control

The blood sugar level was measured to be as high as 1000, even the kidneys were affected and caused acute renal damage. He was diagnosed with "hyperglycemic hyperosmotic pressure state". Fortunately, the patient was hospitalized in time and given large amounts of fluids and insulin to control his blood sugar. His blood sugar returned to normal and he was discharged smoothly.

Ask the patient why his blood sugar level rises rapidly? The patient replied that the fruit she grew at home had an excess yield, and as she was frugal by nature, she therefore ate a large amount of extra lychees, pineapples, and watermelons. She even replaced several meals with these, which caused her blood sugar to soar, leading to the need for hospitalization.

Balanced diet and good blood sugar management

Dr. Lin Jinghan emphasized that the general public more or less knows that high blood sugar is related to the intake of sugary drinks and processed products such as desserts and cakes, but often overlooks that pure and natural fruits are also rich in sugar, especially the fruits produced in Taiwan, which are delicious and juicy. Once you indulge in them without restraint, there are many examples of high blood sugar levels.

Dr. Lin Jinghan (pictured) stressed that fruits are high in sugar and diabetics should consume them in moderation. (Photo provided by National Cheng Kung University Hospital)

The fruits that were originally consumed for health purposes have instead become the biggest invisible accomplice in out-of-control blood sugar levels, which is not worth the cost. Basically, if diabetics can grasp the following precautions, they can easily control their blood sugar, including: balanced diet, regular and quantitative diet, maintaining body weight, light and low-fat diet, less sugar and salt, and controlling sugar intake.

Calculate food intake accurately

It is recommended that six major food groups should be consumed evenly, including: whole grains and root vegetables (2 to 3 bowls of rice per day), low-fat dairy products (1 cup per day), fruits (2 servings per day), oils and nuts and seeds (1 to 2 tablespoons of oil per day), beans, fish, meat, and eggs (5 to 6 servings per day), and vegetables (more than 3 plates per day). None of them can be missing.

In terms of fruit intake, for example, 1 serving of fruit = 1 Qinglong apple (small) = 3/4 apricot pear = half a banana (medium) = 1 orange = 1 slice of watermelon (about half a pound with skin) = 1 local guava = 1/3 Thai guava = 2 wax apples = 13 grapes = 9 lychees = 2.5 slices of pineapple = 1.5 kiwis.

Diabetic patients should develop the habit of monitoring their blood sugar, controlling their diet, taking medication on time, and exercising more. None of these can be ignored.

[Doctor's reminder]:

In fact, most fruits are sweet and contain sugar, and diabetics should avoid sugar. However, as long as diabetics can remember to calculate the portion, they can still enjoy the sweet taste of fruits without causing a burden on blood sugar in the body.

Diabetic patients should follow the doctor's advice, take medication or inject insulin regularly to control blood sugar, and monitor their blood sugar at fixed times. In daily life, they can also listen to the advice of nutritionists and health teachers, adjust their eating habits and establish regular exercise patterns, so that they can enjoy life more healthily.