Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : February 23, 2016 11:12 PM IST
If you or your loved one is suffering from diabetes, it is always important to be very cautious about what you eat. While many are wary about certain vegetables that are high on the glycemic index for the sheer fear of a rise in blood sugar, some of the nutritious vegetables also go off the diet list for the same reason. One such vegetable is beetroot. Here are 11 amazing benefits of beetroots.
Since this vegetable is high in natural sugar content, many people stay away from consumption of beetroots if they suffer from diabetes. However, this vegetable is more beneficial to them for more than one reason. Here is why:
The best way to have it
Studies indicate that beetroots give the best benefits to diabetics when had in the form of juice [1]. However, prefer to have it in the morning so it can convert into glucose slowly and steadily and provide you with the required energy throughout the day. Here are a list of foods that can help fight diabetes better.
If you don t wish to have the juice, include them in your mid-morning salads or as a vegetable preparation during lunch. Avoid having it at the end of the day.
Precautions to take:
Sure, you cannot deny the fact that beetroot is high in sugar. So, if your blood sugar level is too high or unmanageable, consult your nutritionist about including beetroots in your diet.
Remember, like all other foods in your diet you should have this vegetable in moderation. To be on the safer side measure your blood sugar level before and after having beetroots in any form in your diet.
Reference:
1: Gilchrist M, Winyard PG, Fulford J, Anning C, Shore AC, Benjamin N. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves reaction time in type 2 diabetes: development and application of a novel nitrate-depleted beetroot juice placebo. Nitric Oxide.2014 Aug 31;40:67-74. doi:0.1016/j.niox.2014.05.003. Epub 2014 May 21. PubMed PMID: 24858657.
2. Wootton-Beard PC, Brandt K, Fell D, Warner S, Ryan L. Effects of a beetroot juice with high neobetanin content on the early-phase insulin response in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Sci. 2014 Apr 30;3:e9. doi: 10.1017/jns.2014.7. eCollection 2014. PubMed PMID: 25191617; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4153083.
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