Glycemic index of dates. Can dates be given to diabetics? Nutritional value of dates

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Dates are the fruits of the date palm. They are the most high-calorie fruits. For Russians, they are a delicacy that is most suitable for drinking tea, and for Arabs, they are “bread of the desert”. Given the nutritional value of dates, this is understandable. They have been known to mankind for about ten millennia, and references to them are found in the Bible and the Koran. Previously, warriors took these fruits on a campaign as a "dry ration".

Useful properties

Dates perfectly fill the body with energy. In addition, they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Dates are rich in vitamin A, which is good for vision. They also contain beta-carotene, niacin, vitamin C, B and B2. Dates are recommended for pregnant and lactating women. In the last weeks of pregnancy, these fruits stimulate uterine contractions, helping to facilitate childbirth and quickly recover from them. At an earlier date, they supply the body with useful substances. Their effect on the uterus is not so great that these fruits can provoke a miscarriage, so do not be afraideat them. When feeding, they enrich the milk with vitamins. They are also useful for mental stress. The nutritional value of dates is great.

Contraindications for use

Despite the versatile benefits of this delicacy, dates are not recommended for everyone. These sugar-rich fruits should not be consumed by diabetics, as well as people prone to obesity. However, diabetes is of different types and occurs in different stages. Some people with this diagnosis should not eat dates categorically, while others can eat them in moderation.

Types of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a severe deficiency of insulin. This condition usually leads to ketoacidosis. Patients are given insulin shots because insulin in pill form is destroyed in the digestive tract.

Type 2 diabetes is called non-insulin dependent, but this name is not entirely accurate. In severe cases, insulin therapy is also usually given. Hormone levels in these patients remain normal or may be elevated. The problem is that fat cells are not sensitive to it. Blood sugar appears to be high.

Diabetes can be not only a chronic disease, but also a temporary phenomenon. Some women experience gestational diabetes during pregnancy, which resolves after childbirth. This diagnosis requires strict adherence to the diet, and in some cases insulin therapy, because high sugar levels are dangerous for the baby and can lead to developmental pathology.internal organs, if you treat the disease irresponsibly.

Glycemic index

In the modern world, the topic of he althy eating is quite popular, so many have heard of the glycemic index or met the short abbreviation "GI". What it is? Explaining in simple terms, we can say that this is the ability of the product to quickly increase blood sugar. A high GI food causes a spike in sugar, while a low GI food is digested slowly. A sharp increase in sugar is especially dangerous for diabetics. It can cause many different complications, including coma.

Glycemic index and calories

Many people who are not familiar with these concepts may confuse it with calories. After all, both concepts combine products that are considered harmful and conducive to weight gain, for example, sweet and starchy foods. However, these are completely different indicators. Caloric content is the ability to provide the body with energy. Otherwise, it is called energy value. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins can act as carriers of calories. Fats are twice as energy dense as carbohydrates and proteins. The glycemic index is related to the influence of carbohydrates (mostly fast).

Fast and slow carbohydrates differ in the speed of assimilation. The former have a simpler molecular structure and are absorbed into the blood at a tremendous speed. This process begins in the mouth and esophagus. They fill you up quickly and leave you hungry quickly.

Slow carbs work slowly but reliably. They give a feeling of satiety andenergy for a long period of time. That is why many people eat porridge for breakfast.

Glycemic index and caloric content do not always coincide. For example, seeds are a high-calorie product, but their GI is very low and is only 8. They are absorbed by the body slowly and gradually.

What determines the glycemic index

This indicator depends not only on the content of carbohydrates. It is also influenced by the presence of other substances in the product. For example, the presence of dietary fiber lowers the GI. Therefore, fruits rich in fiber are safe for diabetics, although they have sweetness. Another fact that can please people on a diet is dark chocolate. The content of cocoa products in it is more than 70%. Dark chocolate is classified as a low glycemic food because the high content of fat, which is cocoa butter, slows down the absorption of sugar.

Dates for Diabetes

How are the dates going? What does the glycemic index table say about them? Dates are very rich in carbohydrates, so the information may disappoint lovers of this sweet fruit. Fresh dates are the safest, but it is difficult to get them in Russia. Fresh dates have a glycemic index of only 70 units. However, this is not so small, so some categories of people should eat them with great care. Such numbers are at the very bottom of the high glycemic index. Dates are not at all the product thatcan be a go-to treat for a diabetic.

But you don't have to categorically refuse them. How many dates can a diabetic eat per day? It is permissible to eat no more than 2 pieces per day. It is better to give preference to fresh dates, although it is much more difficult to find them on sale than dry ones.

Who should not eat dates

This oriental delicacy is contraindicated for some categories of diabetics. Note that the glycemic index of dried dates ranges from 103 to 165, depending on the variety, degree of drying, and sugar content. These are very high rates, so these fruits are prohibited for consumption by some patients. Dates pose an unnecessary risk as they cause a high glycemic load. The glycemic index of dates is one of the main reasons why these fruits should not be consumed by the following categories of patients:

• Older people with diabetes.
• Diabetics whose disease is complicated by other diagnoses and whose he alth is weakened
• People with moderate to severe diabetes.

Dates as a dietary product

For he althy dieters, as well as mild diabetics, these fruits can be a worthy substitute for sweets. Sweets based on dates and other dried fruits, as well as nuts, are popular as a natural treat. Such sweets have an exotic and natural taste. How many dates can a he althy person eat per day? It is quite acceptable up to 5-7 pieces.

Date syrup

For those who follow the figure and strive to eat natural products, date syrup can become a sugar substitute. It is a sweet dark brown thick liquid. The advantages over sugar are that the syrup is rich in vitamins and other useful substances, improves metabolism. This product is less caloric than sugar, which contains 398 kcal per 100 g. There are only 293 of them in syrup. As you can see, it also does not belong to low-calorie foods. With obesity, such a syrup is not recommended. Diabetics should not use it either, because the glycemic index of dates and syrup from them is very high.