Dr. Chaturvedi, senior consultant in hormones at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi (India) said that dates are a popular natural sweetener, often consumed during vegetarianism, festivals and as a daily energy booster.
This natural fruit is rich in nutrients, especially fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Despite its high natural sugar content, dates are still a good alternative to refined sugar thanks to their health benefits, especially in helping to stabilize blood sugar.
The amount of consumption paid is appropriate to control blood sugar
Dates have a low to medium glycemic index (GI), meaning they do not cause a sudden increase in blood sugar when eaten at a moderate level.
The fiber in dates helps slow down the digestion and absorption of glucose, while polyphenols have the effect of reducing inflammation and supporting insulin function. In addition, minerals such as magnesium and potassium also help regulate blood sugar.
Some types of dates have a lower glycemic effect than others, helping users control their sugar intake better.
However, you still need to calculate the amount of calories and carbohydrates in your daily diet. About 100 grams of dates will provide 60-70 grams of carbohydrates, equivalent to 40-50 kcal per dates.
To balance, you can reduce your portion sizes of other carbohydrate-containing dishes like rice or chapati, helping to limit high blood sugar.
How to eat and combine dates with other foods
Limit your portion sizes: Eat 2-3 dates at a time to avoid consuming too much sugar.
Combine with protein or healthy fats: Combining dates with nuts, seeds, or yogurt will help slow down the absorption of sugar, thereby stabilizing blood sugar.
Combine with fiber-rich foods: Add dates to dishes such as oatmeal or whole grains to help regulate blood sugar levels.
Avoid processed dates: Avoid sugar-coated or syrup dates. Instead, choose dates that are naturally dried, unprocessed.
Eat dates naturally: Unprocessed or naturally ripe tea contains more fiber, about 7-15 grams of fiber per 100 grams of dates. You can also eat dates before exercising, when fasting blood sugar levels are often lower.
With the above eating methods, dates will become a useful addition to the diet to help you maintain stable blood sugar levels.
