Diabetes is one of the world’s largest killers. This disease causes abnormal metabolizing of sugar thus leading to a surge in our blood glucose levels. If not managed properly, it can lead to a number of complications such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney damage, foot damage, eye damage, hearing impairment and a lot more.
When it comes to superfoods that can help us in managing symptoms of this condition, tomatoes are an ideal pick.
Tomatoes are a nutritious tangy addition in one’s diabetic diet. They contain vitamin C that helps boost the immune system, vitamin A that supports vision and eye health, vitamin K which is good for the bones, and potassium that helps maintain heart health. Aside from these, tomatoes are also loaded with lycopene. This potent substance may help lower down our risk of heart diseases, macular degeneration, and cancer, particularly prostate cancer. We can consume it either raw or cooked.
According to studies, tomatoes are low in carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates, particularly those refined ones, get metabolized quickly and cause a blood sugar spike. Aside from this, tomatoes are also non-starchy and also have a low glycemic index (GI), a scale that ranks the number of carbohydrates in foods from zero to 100, indicating how quickly a food causes a person’s blood sugar to rise. Any food that has a GI score lower than 55 is good for diabetics. Tomatoes (about 400 grams) have a GI of less than 15.
In a 2007 study involving people with diabetes, results showed that supplementation of cooked tomatoes for 30 days can help decrease lipid peroxidation, a chain reaction in which substances called free radicals to attack fat, leading to damage that ups the risk of heart disease. This result is beneficial since diabetes doubles a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.
Furthermore in another study, researchers have found that individuals with type 2 diabetes who consume 200 grams of raw tomato regularly had experienced a reduction in blood pressure. This result enables exerts to conclude that tomatoes might help people in dealing with cardiovascular risks associated with type 2 diabetes.
How To Add Tomatoes Into Our Diet To Enjoy This Benefit?
We can incorporate tomatoes into our diet in a number of forms—fresh, dried, or as sauce, salsa, or paste.
Fresh tomatoes can be added to omelets and salad. We can have a slice of juicy tomato to our next sandwich or cook up a big pot of tomato sauce. This can be used as a topping for veggies, chicken, and other good foods in our diabetes-friendly diet.
Aside from tomatoes, some other superfoods for diabetics are non-starchy veggies like asparagus, broccoli and beets; walnuts, flaxseeds, and other nuts and seeds; beans, kale, and whole grains.
