Should people with diabetes drink orange juice?

May 7, 2023 | 06:48 pm PT
I find orange juice very sweet, so is it all right for people with diabetes to drink it? (Thanh Tan)

Answer:

People with diabetes should avoid all food products that contain a lot of cholesterol, fat, and sugar. Instead, you should supplement your diet with vegetables and fruits. They contain a large amount of fiber, are rich in vitamins, low in fat, and provide positive benefits to your blood sugar levels.

You should avoid canned or bottled juice, as well as pre-made juice sold in cartons, because they contain large amounts of sugar. These kinds of packaged juices lose a large number of vitamins, and they have no fiber.

Patients with diabetes should consume fruit directly instead of drinking them because you get more fiber that way. Furthermore, if you drink juice, then you should not add sugar or honey.

When eating fruit you should prioritize citrus products such as oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit, because they contain a wide variety of vitamins, especially vitamin C, which has anti-bacterial and anti-virus properties, as well as improving your immune system.

As such, you can still drink orange juice if you have diabetes. But don’t drink too much, at most 1-2 cups a day with no added sugar or honey.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Bay

Traditional medicine expert

 
 
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