Watermelon and Diabetes: Will It Raise Blood Sugar?
Everyone wants to find the secret to a delicious snack that maintains healthy blood sugar levels, especially when battling diabetes.
For many, watermelon seems like the perfect choice — a sweet fruit made of mostly water. But whether or not watermelon is the ideal choice for someone with diabetes may be up for debate. As with most things, moderation is essential, but there is still plenty to keep in mind to avoid spiking your blood sugar.
Here at Sweetkick, we want to help you stay on top of your health by providing you with all you need to know about watermelon and how it affects individuals with diabetes.
What Are the Benefits of Watermelon?
Watermelon has many health benefits, making it seem like an excellent choice when looking for a healthy snack. Watermelon is a great source of antioxidants, potassium, carbohydrates, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
With its long list of nutrients, watermelon has many health benefits. The high amounts of vitamin C can help support immune health, while the large amounts of potassium can help balance sodium levels and promote healthy blood pressure. Also high in vitamin A, watermelon has antioxidant properties that promote healthy aging in the skin and tissues throughout the body.
In addition to the many excellent nutrients, watermelon contains no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. Since it only contains 46 calories per cup, watermelon is a seemingly harmless choice when you’re craving something sweet.
The fruit is also well-known as a delicious summer snack, which is fitting because it is made of 92% water, helping you to stay hydrated while enjoying the sweet taste.
Does Watermelon Raise Blood Sugar?
The glycemic index (GI) measures how long it takes for sugar to enter the bloodstream after eating a given food. Foods with a high GI are more likely to cause a spike in blood glucose levels since the sugar enters the bloodstream quicker.
GI is measured on a scale from 1 to 100, and food over 70 is considered high GI. Watermelon has a glycemic index of around 72, which places it at risky levels for those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Although, it is important to note that the glycemic index is calculated based on 50 grams of carbohydrates, which, in the context of watermelon, equates to about five cups. This ratio means that watermelon has a low glycemic load. It helps that watermelon is also high in water content, which helps to prevent a blood sugar spike.
Even one single cup of watermelon still contains about 9.5 grams of sugar. Therefore, you should use caution before you write off watermelon as no reason to worry.
How Does Watermelon Compare to Other Fruits?
Fruits are generally considered a healthy form of carbohydrates and are as a regular part of one’s diet.
Although fruits contain natural sugars, they can still affect the body the same as any other sugar, so one may want to avoid fruits that are particularly sweeter than others to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Watermelon’s glycemic index of 72 is one of the highest compared to other fruits. This places watermelon in the same category as fruits like dried dates, pineapple, and overly ripe bananas. Some fruits that have a lower GI score include:
- Apples, 29
- Blueberries, 54
- Grapefruit, 25
- Mango, 51
- Oranges, 48
- Peaches, 35
- Pears, 39
- Raspberries, 26
- Strawberries, 40
Because watermelon has a high glycemic index compared to other fruits, it may be best to reach for an alternative, like an apple or some grapefruit, whenever you have the choice. The best options are fruits with a glycemic index between 20 and 49 since these are considered to be low GI foods. If you are dealing with diabetes, it is best to consult your healthcare professional or dietitian for personalized advice regarding a healthy diet or meal plan.
What Should I Know About Eating Watermelon With Diabetes?
As with many foods, watermelon is not completely out of the question for diabetics, but you should consume it in moderation. Everyone may react differently to the fruit, so if you have diabetes, you may benefit from starting slow and seeing how your body reacts before committing to eating a full serving size of watermelon.
To prevent a sugar spike from watermelon, you may want to try to eat watermelon alongside foods that provide high amounts of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. You should also avoid pairing watermelon with other high GI foods. Eating foods with higher levels of fat and protein helps slow the speed at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Many experts also recommend against drinking watermelon juice because it may have a higher glycemic load than fresh watermelon and have a greater impact on your blood sugar. Consider including watermelon as part of a larger meal than a snack on its own.
What Snacks Support Healthy Blood Sugar?
It can be a challenge to find snacks that taste good without compromising your healthy blood sugar levels. Take all the guesswork out of your snacks by choosing snacks that help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels without spikes.
Sweetkick Clusters are an excellent snack option that tastes great — without all the drawbacks. This pick-me-up is made of nutritious nuts, seeds, and other superfoods to provide you with the energy you need during the day. Plus, these protein-packed snacks are full of fiber and healthy fats without added sugars. Our clusters are offered in two delicious flavors: Cashew Macadamia and Dark Chocolate.
Another great afternoon boost is the Sweetkick Macro Shake, full of vital nutrients you need and nothing you don’t. Every Macro Shake contains healthy protein, carbohydrates, fiber, prebiotics, and essential fats. This delicious shake will help you manage your hunger and avoid pesky cravings during the day while helping you maintain healthy glucose levels and improve your gut health.
Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar With Sweetkick
At the end of the day, eating too much of anything sweet can lead to a spike in your blood sugar, including watermelon. Even some of the most innocent-seeming sweet snacks can raise your blood sugar and harm your health. The best solution to maintaining healthy blood sugar is to minimize sugar in all forms. Unfortunately, it is hard to beat those cravings for something sweet.
On the bright side,Sweetkick can help if you’re looking to kick your sugar cravings to the curb. Sweetkick offers a wide selection of products that can help you nix your sugar habit altogether. Between our tablets, prebiotics, and teas, we make it easy for you to add ways to beat your cravings into your daily routine.
Our prebiotic product options and Herbal Balance Tea help you maintain high energy levels to avoid sugar cravings and crashes, while our tablets help work with your taste buds to eliminate your desire for sweetness altogether.
Explore our complete collection of craving-fighting options for yourself to find which best fits your lifestyle so that you can kick your sugar habit for good.
Sources:
The wonders of watermelon | Mayo Clinic Health System
Is watermelon high in sugar for people with diabetes? Diet tips and nutrition | Medical News Today
Is Watermelon Good for Diabetics? Sugar Content and Health Benefits of Watermelon | Diabetic Me
What Is Glycemic Index? | Eat Right
42 Fruits - Glycemic Index Fruit List for Diabetes | The Gestational Diabetic
