Introduction: Diabetes, a disease known as "immortal cancer", has attracted widespread attention in clinical practice, although diabetes itself may not be directly fatal, but its impact on life health and quality of life should not be underestimated.
When blood sugar levels are out of control for a long time, it can lead to a series of serious complications that can be life-threatening to patients.
According to the International Diabetes Association, as of 2021, the number of adults with diabetes worldwide has reached a staggering 537 million, which means that about 1 in 10 adults in the world are affected by diabetes.
In addition to genetic factors, many diabetes-related syndromes have also been found in clinical practice, and the number of these genetic syndromes has exceeded 60.
Of course, in addition to genetic factors, the causes of diabetes are also inextricably linked to dietary Xi, especially the relationship between melon seed intake and blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms, there are many controversies in society.
So, is there any scientific basis for this claim?
Why is islet function impaired?
Insulin resistance
When the body's cells are not sensitive to insulin, the islets need to produce more insulin to lower blood sugar to normal levels, and over time, the islets become overburdened and their ability to secrete insulin gradually weakens.
Autoimmunity
Autoimmune diseases can lead to impaired islet function, for example, autoimmune islet inflammation is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks pancreatic islet cells, causing insulin secretion to decrease or stop.
Pancreatic disease
Certain pancreatic diseases can lead to impaired islet function, such as pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, or pancreatic surgery, which can damage the islet tissue and affect the function of the islets.
Genetic factors
Some genetic factors may also contribute to impaired islet function, such as familial insulin resistance syndrome, which is a disease of insulin resistance caused by a genetic mutation.
Other factors
Other factors such as obesity, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, as well as age and lifestyle may also negatively affect islet function.
The nutritional value of melon seeds
- Protein: Melon seeds are a source of high-quality plant protein, rich in essential amino acids, which play an important role in maintaining good health and repairing tissues;
- Fats: Melon seeds are rich in healthy fats, especially unsaturated fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- Fiber: Melon seeds are rich in dietary fiber, which helps promote digestive health, prevent constipation and maintain normal blood sugar levels;
- Vitamins: Melon seeds are rich in a variety of vitamins, including vitamin E, vitamin B complex (such as vitamin B1, B3 and folic acid);
- Minerals: Melon seeds contain a variety of minerals such as magnesium, copper, zinc, and phosphorus, which play key roles in bone health, immune system function, and energy metabolism.
Are melon seeds the "accelerator" of diabetes?
In fact, the fat and calories in melon seeds are indeed relatively high, and once they enter the human body, these fats will be converted into sugars and calories, which may increase the resistance of pancreatic islets, affect blood sugar regulation, and make blood sugar levels rise.
For ordinary people, occasionally eating a small amount of melon seeds will not have much impact on blood sugar, because when the body consumes too much sugar, the pancreatic islet function will start normally, and the blood sugar will be regulated within the normal range.
However, for diabetic patients, especially those whose islet function is already impaired, consuming a large amount of melon seeds for a long time may increase the burden on the islets, further damage the islet function, and lead to a spike in blood sugar.
In fact, this is not the case, as long as you pay attention to the following points when eating, diabetics can also enjoy the delicious taste of melon seeds healthily:
When diabetics eat melon seeds, they should pay more attention to the following 3 points
1. Control the amount you eat
Diabetic patients should consume melon seeds in moderation, and it is recommended that the daily consumption should not exceed a small handful.
2. Choose the right moment
Try to avoid eating melon seeds on an empty stomach to avoid causing sharp fluctuations in blood sugar.
3. Replace high-sugar snacks
If diabetics want to snack, they can choose melon seeds as a relatively healthy alternative to reduce the intake of high-sugar foods.
To sum up, although the high fat and calorie in melon seeds may have a certain impact on diabetics, as long as they are eaten in moderation and pay attention to controlling blood sugar fluctuations, diabetics can also enjoy the deliciousness of melon seeds.
Reminder: Protect the islets and remember to eat 3 and 4 not to eat
【3 Eat】
yuzu
In order to protect the islets and lower blood sugar, patients can moderately increase the intake of certain foods in their daily diet, among them, grapefruit is a fruit that is especially suitable for diabetic patients.
Grapefruit is rich in nutrients, such as vitamin C, dietary fiber, flavonoids, etc., which have good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
In particular, naringenin, a special ingredient in grapefruit, stimulates the activity of pancreatic islet cells and increases the secretion of insulin, thereby helping to lower blood sugar levels.
Maimo
As a low-calorie, high-fiber, low-sugar food, konjac is an ideal choice for diabetics, and konjac is rich in dietary fiber, which can help delay the rate of gastric emptying, thereby reducing blood sugar fluctuations after meals.
In addition, the glucomannan component in konjac has good water absorption, which can form a large volume in the stomach, thereby enhancing satiety, helping to control the amount of food and reduce the burden on pancreatic islets.
In addition, konjac also contains some trace elements and minerals that are beneficial to the human body, such as calcium, iron, zinc, etc., which also have a positive effect on improving the body's immunity and promoting metabolism.
onions
Onions are not only rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber and minerals, but also contain a substance called "tolbutamide", which has a good hypoglycemic effect, and by promoting the secretion of insulin, tolbutamide can help diabetics better control their blood sugar levels.
In addition, onions contain an antioxidant called quercetin, which protects pancreatic islet cells from oxidative stress, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
At the same time, the dietary fiber in onions can also help regulate intestinal flora, improve insulin resistance, and further reduce blood sugar.
【4 Don't eat】
Deep-fried food
Diabetics need to pay attention to their diet to protect the function of pancreatic islets and lower blood sugar levels, among them, eating less fried foods is one of the keys, although fried foods are delicious, they can increase the burden on pancreatic islets and hinder the secretion of insulin, which in turn leads to an increase in blood sugar levels.
During the high-temperature frying process, the fat and calories in the food will increase significantly, and these high-calorie, high-fat foods will not only easily lead to obesity after ingestion into the body, but also bring a heavy burden to the pancreatic islets.
In the long run, the function of pancreatic islets will gradually decline, and blood sugar levels will become unstable, so diabetics should try to avoid fried foods to reduce the burden on pancreatic islets and keep blood sugar stable.
White flour for rice polishing
White rice noodles, such as noodles, steamed buns, rice, flower rolls, etc., are the most common foods in our daily life, these foods contain a lot of carbohydrates, and they are quickly digested and absorbed after entering the human body.
This process will cause the glucose level in the blood to rise rapidly, which will burden the pancreatic islets and may even aggravate the condition, so diabetic patients should try to eat less staple foods such as polished rice and white noodles to reduce the burden on the pancreatic islets.
At the same time, in order to better control blood sugar levels, patients can choose some foods with a low glycemic index (GI) to replace white rice flour, including whole wheat bread, oats, brown rice, beans, etc., which can slowly release energy and avoid sharp fluctuations in blood sugar.
Hamnai
Pickles are usually high in salt, which is one of the key factors in raising blood pressure and blood sugar, and excessive salt intake can lead to water retention in the body, increasing blood volume, which can cause increased blood pressure and blood sugar fluctuations.
In addition, the salt in pickles can also trigger insulin resistance, which is the only hormone in the body that can lower blood sugar, and insulin resistance is a decrease in the body's response to insulin, which is not effective in lowering blood sugar.
Excessive salt intake can interfere with the normal work of insulin, making the body less sensitive to insulin, which can lead to an increase in blood sugar, therefore, diabetics should try to eat less pickles to reduce salt intake, protect pancreatic islet function, and stabilize blood sugar levels.
preserved egg
Although preserved eggs are delicious, it is a high-calorie, high-fat food, containing about 170-200 calories of energy and 12-15 grams of fat per 100 grams of preserved eggs.
For diabetics, it is very important to maintain a healthy eating Xi, in addition to eating less preserved eggs, they should also avoid other high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar foods, and choose low-calorie, high-fiber, low-fat foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.
At the same time, reasonable dietary intake and maintaining an appropriate weight can also help lower blood sugar levels and reduce the occurrence of complications.
In addition to paying attention to diet, how can we improve diabetes more effectively?
Be physically active
Moderate physical activity can help control blood sugar levels, increase the body's sensitivity response to insulin, and at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, swimming, dancing, etc., can bring great benefits.
Monitor your blood sugar regularly
Regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels can help you understand how well you're managing your diabetes and make timely adjustments, measuring your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter as recommended by your doctor, and recording your results.
Take your medications or insulin injections on time
If you have diabetes, take your oral medication or insulin injections regularly according to your doctor's prescription and adjust the dosage regularly as recommended by your doctor to achieve good blood sugar control.
Stop smoking and limit alcohol consumption
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can exacerbate the risk of diabetes and the development of complications, and quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption can improve diabetes management and overall health.
Author: Xiao Zhu said popular science
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