Are cucumbers good for diabetes?

Cucumbers are one of the most cultivated fruits in the world. Most people see or know cucumbers to be vegetables. However, this is not the case. The popularity of this fruit has brought up so many questions concerning its health benefits and one of these many questions is are cucumbers good for diabetes. 

If you are a diabetic and you want to try eating cucumbers or you have been eating lots of cucumbers, you must be wondering if they are good for you or not. 

Diabetics always have a hard time when it comes to food-related issues. They are always faced with a dilemma. The uncertainty of foods being good or bad for their health is what they face most of the time. 

In this article, you will get to know if cucumbers are good for diabetes and what other health benefits they might offer to diabetics.

To determine if cucumbers are good for people with diabetes, we first need to look at the following factors in detail

1. The type of sugars present in cucumbers
2. The glycemic index of cucumbers
3. Other medicinal components of cucumbers that may or may not be beneficial to diabetic people

These factors can help us arrive at an answer to the question “Are cucumbers good for diabetes?”

Cucumbers

Cucumis sativus, cucumbers are in the same botanical family as melons and squashes. Originating from South Asia, cucumbers can be found in all parts of the world. There are many types of cucumber but the most recognized ones are slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers.

Slicing cucumbers are meant to be eaten fresh whereas pickling cucumbers are processed into pickles.

Types of sugar found in cucumbers

Cucumbers have both complex and simple sugars. The simple sugars present in cucumbers are glucose and fructose. Complex sugars present in cucumbers are good because they do not cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. Fiber, a complex sugar, is present in the cucumbers in high amounts.

Does the type of sugars present in cucumbers cause an increase in blood sugar?

The types of sugars present in cucumbers do not cause a massive rise in blood sugar. Complex sugars like fiber take a long time to break down in the body, hence, making sure there is a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream. This ensures that your blood sugar levels are always kept in check and regulated.

The glycemic index of cucumbers

A glycemic index is a tool used to measure the increase in blood sugar levels. This tool gives numbers (a scale of 0 to 100) to foods based on how slowly or quickly those foods can cause increases in blood sugar levels. The foods are then classified into low, medium, and high glycemic foods. 

The lower the glycemic index of a food, the lower the chances of the food affecting your blood sugar levels, the higher the glycemic index of a food, the greater the chances of the food affecting your blood sugar levels.

Below is the classification of the glycemic index

Low: 0 to 55

Medium: 56 to 69

High: 70 to 100

Cucumbers have a glycemic index of 15. This puts it in the low glycemic index classification. This shows that cucumbers will not cause harm to people with diabetes.

Can eating cucumbers increase blood sugar?

Due to the presence of both simple and complex sugars in cucumbers, it does have the ability to increase blood sugar however in small amounts. These sugars do not cause a massive increase in blood sugar levels in the body and also, they need a substantial amount of time before they can be broken down and processed in the body.

Are cucumbers good for diabetes?

Yes, cucumbers are good for diabetes. They are very low in calories and you can eat them as many times as you want. Cucumbers are also good for diabetes because the types of sugar present in cucumbers do not raise blood sugar much. 

Are there any health benefits of cucumbers that can help people with diabetes?

Cucumbers are highly nutritious and they have a lot of health benefits. Cucumbers are good for improving the overall health of a diabetic. Here are some of the health benefits that cucumbers have to offer.

• Cucumber Seeds are known to be rich in a wide range of phytonutrients, that includes both carotenoids and flavonoids. They protect the body from diseases and enhance the immune system.
• Flavonoids present in the cucumber can reduce many of the risk factors associated with diabetes such as heart diseases, myocardial infarction and stroke
• Cucumbers can keep you hydrated. They are composed of about 96% water and eating cucumbers can help prevent dehydration.
• Eating cucumbers can also help you lose weight. Cucumbers are low in calories and eating them will not add any weight to your body. 

The takeaway from this article

Cucumbers are safe for diabetics to eat. They contain sugars that do not cause a steep rise in the levels of blood sugar. 

Cucumbers have many health benefits which can also help improve the overall health of diabetics. They aid in weight loss since they contain low calories and can boost the immune system. Above all, cucumbers are known to have a low glycemic index and hence are recommended fruits for diabetics.