Diabetes is a health condition caused by the body’s inability to regulate blood glucose levels due to either a lack of insulin produced by the body or resistance to the insulin. People with diabetes may be warned to avoid fruit juices due to the natural sugars in the fruit.
However, many experts are changing their opinions about fruits and diabetes. Raw foods may help improve diabetes. Certain fruits and vegetables can improve the body’s response to insulin and help control diabetes. Juicing with diabetes to lose weight can help diabetes as some people with type 2 diabetes can be cured of the disease by losing excess weight.
People with diabetes need to be cautious when drinking juices high in natural sugars since these sugars can cause blood glucose levels to rise. The risk of complications from diabetes such as nerve damage and infections increases when the person’s blood glucose levels are too high. Therefore, people with diabetes need to control their blood glucose levels to avoid diabetes complications.
Glucose, sucrose, and fructose are the carbohydrates known as simple sugars. Glucose is the sugar that is made by the body while it breaks down carbohydrates that have been eaten. Fructose is the natural sugar found in fruit. Sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose. Table sugar is sucrose. When sugars are consumed, they increase a person’s blood glucose level.
Because fruits contain fructose and can cause spikes in blood glucose levels, vegetables are a wiser choice for juicing with diabetes. Nutrient-packed vegetables are a way to get a variety of vitamins and minerals without the carbohydrates found in fruits. Another potential drawback of juicing for diabetics is that juicing removes much of the fiber contained in fruits and vegetables. This fiber can help to regulate blood sugar and so by removing it you are effectively concentrating the sugar. But juicing doesn’t remove all of the fiber and by juicing mainly vegetables which don’t contain much carbohydrate you are reducing the chance of there being a problem.
Some vegetables are known to help manage diabetes. Asparagus may help the body regulate blood sugar levels. Cucumber, cauliflower, tomatoes, and brussels sprouts are good foods for diabetes management. Manganese may help managing diabetes by lowering insulin resistance. Manganese may improve glucose metabolism. Parsley, carrots, cabbage, collard greens, endive, celery, beet greens, broccoli, and spinach are excellent sources of manganese. Blueberries, pineapple, and strawberries are some of the fruits that contain manganese. Broccoli also contains vitamin C which may help prevent diabetes.
But juicing isn’t all about fruits and vegetables. Herbs and spices can play a role too! One common spice which may be beneficial to diabetics is cinnamon. According to research by the University of Hanover in Germany, cinnamon may help to lower blood glucose levels if taken daily over a period of time. Herbs like garlic, bitter melon, fenugreek, ginkgo and ginseng may also be beneficial for diabetics.
It’s thought that cinnamon lowers blood glucose by increasing insulin sensitivity. This allows cells to increase the amount of glucose they absorb from the blood. There are many juice recipes which contain cinnamon and adding it to juices is a very quick and easy way to get the spice into your diet.
Obesity increases the person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some people who were diagnosed with diabetes have reverse the disease by losing weight and following a healthy diet. Juicing can help the person lose weight if done carefully as long as fruits are not consumed in large quantities. Living with diabetes requires monitoring the blood glucose levels regularly. When juicing with diabetes, fruits can be consumed in moderation as long as the person is following their doctor’s instructions for controlling the blood glucose levels.
Juicing for diabetes type 2, is that safe? How about diabetes type 1, can you juice if you have type 1 diabetes?
I get LOTS OF QUESTIONS about juicing and diabetes, I guess it should come as no surprise giving how quickly type 2 diabetes is rising in our population. According to the NHS, there are 3.9 million people living with diabetes in the UK. That’s more than one in 16 people in the UK who has diabetes.
In the last few days alone I’ve had messages asking “what about the sugar?” and “does juicing cause Gastric Dumping Syndrome and increase the risk of diabetes?”
The thing is, I’ve also had messages from clients sharing their test results and how their blood sugars have improved, including from a type 1 diabetic who says her blood sugars are the best they have been in over 15 years!
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are where a person has higher than normal blood sugar levels, yet the cause and development of the conditions are different.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks parts of their body and means their pancreas is incapable of producing insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to inject themselves with insulin to compensate for this and everyone with type 1 diabetes is insulin-dependent.
Whilst I have type 1 diabetic clients who have improved their blood sugar levels through lifestyle changes (including juicing), type 1 diabetes cannot be reversed.
Type 2 diabetes is different. Type 2 diabetes is where the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance.
If you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be able to control your symptoms simply by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and monitoring your blood glucose levels.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2.
So the big question…
Does juicing increase or decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is triggered by lifestyle choices and your choice of lifestyle can lower (or raise) your risk.
Things that have been linked to an increased risk including processed foods, refined sugar, refined flours, dairy and fizzy drinks (soda). Reducing your intake of these foods may help to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
As for juicing, I’m not saying it will work for everyone, but I’ve seen many examples of people (such as Joe Arnold and Phil McFarlane) who have REVERSED their type 2 diabetes through lifestyle change, in particular through drinking green juice.
“I have type 2 diabetes and was on insulin and medication for 15 years, since juicing I have stopped taking insulin with no adverse effects.”
Phil McFarlane
In an analysis of six studies into fruit and vegetable intake, researchers from Leicester University in the UK, found only food including spinach and cabbage was found to have a significant positive effect. A portion and a half a day was found to cut type 2 diabetes risk by 14%, according to a report in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The researchers reviewed data from the studies of 220,000 adults in total. They found that eating more fruit and vegetables in general was not strongly linked with a smaller chance of developing type 2 diabetes but “there was a general trend in that direction”. Yet when it came to green leafy vegetables, which the researchers said also includes broccoli and cauliflower, the risk reduction was significant.
The team calculated that a daily dose of 106g reduced the risk of diabetes by 14% – a UK “portion” is classed as 80g.
3 Tips on Juicing for Diabetes Type 2
- Go high veg, low fruit. Ideally you are looking for a minimum of 80% of your juice to be vegetables with a small amount of fruit for flavour.
- Test you blood sugars regularly when trying new recipes. Avoid any recipes that cause significant spikes in your blood sugar levels.
- Do not reduce (or alter) medication without professional medical guidance.
A 15 Minute Way to Reduce Your Risk of Type-2 Diabetes
In addition to changes in dietary intake, research by George Washington University suggests movement is also key. Taking a 15 minute walk after a meal is an effective was of “blunting the potentially damaging elevations in post-meal blood sugar” according to the researchers.
Their research, which focuses on older people, found that a 15-minute walk after each meal could prevent type-2 diabetes from developing.
Source: naturaljuicejunkie.com, bestforjuicing.com
