Drinking Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes is a matter of debate. While Medical Practitioners continuously discredit all the false information, many claims on Ayurvedic texts while drinking Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes. In this article, we will analyze Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes and why drinking it could be the biggest mistake of your life.
In diabetes, your food choices become limited. Foods that have low carbohydrates and sugar are considered appropriate. GI and GL are two critical parameters to know which foods are healthier to incorporate into your diet.
Foods low on GI and GL parameters are suitable for having “slow-digesting” carbs and low sugar content. When you consume such foods, it does not abruptly raise the sugar level in the blood.
A lot of people with diabetes have this question whether they can drink Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes. This post will look at the juice’s nutritional composition and GI index to find if it is the proper selection for diabetes.
Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes
Sugarcane is popularly cultivated and consumed in various parts of India; it is derived by pressing the sugarcane in a machine. This syrupy liquid tastes sweet because of the natural sugar present in sugarcane. It is often served with ice, lime, and spices to enhance its taste. This refreshing drink is relished primarily during the summer season.
This humble beverage is a powerhouse of nutrition. Besides boosting your energy levels, the presence of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals maintains the correct levels of electrolytes in the body. This juice is processed to prepare cane sugar, molasses, jaggery, and brown sugar.
Nutritional benefits Of Sugarcane Juice
Sugarcane juice is not a pure form of sugar. One medium-sized sugarcane provides around seventy to seventy-five percent of water, ten to fifteen percent of fiber, twelve to sixteen percent of soluble sugars, and thirteen to fifteen percent of sucrose (a form of sugar). Sugarcane is a prime source of table sugar throughout the world.
In an unprocessed state, it provides vital compounds such as flavonoid, phenolic, organic salts, antioxidants, vitamins, and a potent mineral, “potassium.” It hydrates and balances the electrolyte level in the body. This mineral stimulates your metabolism and enhances digestion. The juice is proven to be good for maintaining healthy kidneys and prevents inflammation and urinary infection.
A 100ml serving of sugarcane juice provides forty to sixty calories, 6.94 grams of sugar, 20.17 grams of carbs, 44 milligrams of sodium, and 12 milligrams of potassium. A single cup of the juice is equivalent to a whopping fifty grams of sugar. The Serving is around twelve teaspoons of sugar. When people drink this juice, it increases their blood sugar levels, stored in energy reserves in the body.
These benefits often confuse many people to drink Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes. However, we need to analyze GI and GL Index first.
Is Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes Suitable ?
In our opinion, sugarcane juice is not a diabetic-friendly choice. Let us understand it like this: Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that metabolizes in the body in glucose. So, when you eat high-carb food like sugarcane juice, it drastically increases the sugar levels in the blood. High Sugar levels are not permissible in the case of diabetes.
You have to watch your intake of sugar and carb levels at all times. Before including any food in their diet, every person with diabetes should consider two critical factors.
- GI, or Glycemic Index, that measures how fast food increases blood sugar, and
- GL, or Glycemic Load, that calculates the amount of increase in the blood sugar levels.
Sugarcane juice is a low GI food but puts a high glycemic load on your body. In other words, drinking this juice can have a massive impact on blood sugar levels.
As sugarcane is rich in sugar and has high GL, it can cause a sudden and significant rise in blood sugar. High Blood Sugar can aggravate diabetes symptoms and cause complications. Thus, a person with diabetes should avoid consumption entirely. If you feel an urge to drink a sweet beverage, opt for water infused with the natural sweetness of fresh fruits.
3 Alternatives to Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes
If you like drinking juice and unfortunately suffering from Diabetes, here are two healthy juices recipes for you.
- Apple, Beetroot and Carrot Juice
- Beetroot and Carrot Juice
- Noni Juice
Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes in Ayurveda
Interestingly, few sources cite the benefits of Sugarcane Juice mentioned in Ayurveda while recommending Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes. However, Diabetes has a lot to do with the pancreas, insulin, and insulin resistance directly connected with sugar (Madhura).
Since we can’t consume Sugar (Madhura) products during diabetes (Kapha Dosh), sugarcane consumption is not recommended in Ayurveda for Diabetes.
Should I Drink Sugarcane Juice For Diabetes ?
Sugar is one of the forms of carbohydrates that gives energy to the body. More amounts of sugar can also cause an imbalance in blood glucose levels. Due to this reason, a person with diabetes has to be very particular about the sugar content of any food that he consumes.
The case of sugarcane juice has healthy amounts of antioxidants but more than permissible levels of natural sugar. Sugar makes it a poor selection for a person with diabetes. If you consume this sugary food, it can endanger your blood sugar levels. For effective management of diabetes, you should choose unsweetened tea, coffee, infused water, and other beverages over sugarcane juice.
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