Fructose for diabetes is an alternative to your favorite sweets. Patients are limited in the amount of sucrose in the diet, so they use a natural and synthetic monosaccharide instead. But when consuming fructose, you also need to follow some rules.
What is fructose?
Fructose is a sweet substance that we get from plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables and honey. A simple monosaccharide strengthens the general condition of the body, normalizes the glucose concentration, and prevents the development of diathesis and caries. People suffering from diabetes mellitus, the accumulation of excess body fat and metabolic disorders should control or completely exclude sugar from their usual diet. It is being replaced by fructose. It is synthesized much faster in the body and participates in cellular metabolism separately from insulin. It is widely used in special diet food for diabetics, for example, in cookies, halva or sweets. Has tonic and revitalizing properties.
Fructose in type 1 diabetes
People with type 1 diabetes also have their own fructose intake. This is due to its negative effect on the body and the process of the development of the disease, when oversaturation occurs. However, for this type of disease, control is not too strict. For children, a sufficient intake is considered 0.5 g / kg, for an adult – 0.75 g / kg.
Fructose in type 2 diabetes
When type 2 diabetes is detected, an abnormal metabolism is diagnosed. Accordingly, excessive consumption of fruit sugar can damage the body. A special hard regime is required. Sweet fruits are allowed, but subject to a limited calorie intake. It should be noted that two tablespoons of the usual jam in terms of calorie content is half the same amount of fructose. That is, dietary food based on an artificial sweetener increases appetite and produces ghrelin . Fructose also increases the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which provokes cardiovascular disease, which is especially dangerous in type 2 diabetes. Vegetable fats must be added to the diet – they prevent blood sugar from rising.
Some of the healthiest fruits are grapefruit and jambul . They regulate sugar levels and have a beneficial effect on the pancreas.
Correct use of fructose
The monosaccharide will not affect the state of the body and the course of the disease, if you follow the simple rules of use:
- the doctor prescribes the permissible individual rate of the sweetener, which must be observed;
- the amount of monosaccharide from fruits and other sweets should be counted separately from the sugar substitute used.
In addition, the type of diabetes is important. The more severe the pathology, the stricter the patient must follow the diet. In this case, one cannot but recall about diabetes mellitus in pregnant women. For many women, this is just a temporary phenomenon associated with hormonal changes, which returns to normal after childbirth. However, maintaining health during this period becomes doubly difficult. For gestational diabetes, diet-based therapy is used. The main condition is the correct use of fructose. The following guidelines must be followed:
- instead of sugar, there are healthy fruits, vegetables and berries, which contain natural fructose in their composition ;
- you cannot use an artificial sugar substitute, it increases the amount of leptin in the blood of a pregnant woman, and this negatively affects the fetus, an active weight gain occurs, and type II diabetes develops.
With an overdose of artificial sweeteners, fructose, blood sugar rises, which is extremely dangerous for a patient with diabetes.
Can fructose replace sugar in diabetes?
Fructose keeps the body in good shape only with proportional use. However, both its deficit and its surplus create a lot of problems. It is impossible to completely replace sugar with fructose, since only the liver is involved in its processing. Obesity and many different diseases of the heart and blood vessels can become a consequence of improper nutrition. Fruit sugar is converted to fatty acids, and only a portion of it is converted to glucose. At the same time, despite the large amount of accumulated fat, a person does not feel full at all, his appetite is constantly growing.
Fructose-based chocolate enhances sugar cravings and stimulates appetite. Glucose is the energy fuel for the human body. Therefore, insulin processed after sweets signals that the charge of energy is received and satiety sets in.
Daily rate of fructose
In order for energy expenditure to compensate for the amount of fruit sugar intake, fructose should preferably be included in daily meals. Its allowable rate is 30-40 grams. For type 1 diabetics, fructose from foods such as nuts, tomatoes, fermented milk products and chocolate are allowed. The same cannot be said about type 2 diabetics. The situation of patients is aggravated by strict control. Food that causes disorders in the functioning of the kidneys and liver is completely excluded.
The benefits and harms of fructose in diabetes
Fructose was considered to be a fairly healthy product. But scientists have proven that this component is not completely safe for the human body. According to statistics, more than 1 million people die from diabetes each year. This is due to the fact that fructose is not used correctly in diabetes. There is no qualified help, complications that destroy the body appear. Namely:
- diabetic gangrene;
- nephropathy;
- retinopathy;
- trophic ulcers;
- hypoglycemia;
- ketoacidosis ;
- cancerous growths.
In connection with the development of these pathologies, the patient will face disability or death. By distinguishing between the benefits and harms of fructose, complications can be avoided. Scientists claim that the substance has a negative effect on the body:
- chemical reactions of vital activity are disrupted;
- a large amount of sweet sweetener leads to an excess of fat;
- an excess of fructose leads to hyperglycemia, the body adapts to itself;
- increases the amount of styrene;
- suppresses insulin.
However, there is also a positive side. Fructose in diabetes has a good effect on the body due to the following actions:
- glucose levels do not rise sharply;
- reduces the risk of caries;
- when consumed, the calorie content of products decreases;
- helps to gain energy with mental work and great physical exertion;
- well absorbed;
- it can be used for preserving vegetables and fruits.
At the same time, it is necessary to understand that fructose in diabetes has a beneficial effect only taking into account its correct use. The diet takes into account the compatibility of foods, the course of the disease, possible complications and the calorie content of food.