At the end of June, the cherries invade market stalls. Tasty and gourmet at will, they seduce the greatest number with their tangy taste. A dietician gives you the right reflexes to adopt so as not to increase your blood sugar without giving up pleasure.
Cherries, fruits full of benefits
The icing is eagerly awaited by the French: each year, they consume almost 2 kg. Consumed as natural, they bring us many benefits.
Rich in vitamins, in particular group B (except B12, present in animal foods), they participate in the proper functioning of our organization. These intervene in the manufacture of cells (including red blood cells) and play a key role in the nervous system and the immune system, as well as in the healing of wounds.
Cherries are also full of potassium (190 mg/100 g), which contributes to maintaining normal blood blood pressure and helps prevent the risk of heart disease (stroke …). They also contain magnesium, as well as calcium, zinc, manganese, copper, fluorine, iodine … A real concentrate of essential trace elements to “remineralize” the organism.
The cherry finally appears as the ideal fruit in case of fleeting fatigue: thanks to its B vitamin content and vitamin C (stimulating), a simple handful of cherries is enough to restore a boost. But is this a fruit which can be abused, especially in the event of diabetes? Here is what our nutrition expert said, Alexandra Murcier.
Diabetes and cherries: a risky association?
Can we give in to temptation when you are diabetic? If the question deserves to be asked, it is because the cherries are extremely sweet: they contain 13 grams of carbohydrates with 100 grams, which makes it one of the sweetest fruits, just behind the banana. And as we all know, in case of diabetes, carbohydrate intake and the type of food consumed must be checked.
However, do we have the right to afford this little fruity “gap”? Yes, confesses Alexandra Murcier.
“Cherries have a high glycemic index. In case of diabetes, they must therefore be consumed in a full meal which contains proteins, fibers and fats, to limit the glycemic load of the meal. We also avoid eating them at breakfast or on a sting in snacks, so as not to raise the blood sugar too much. The ideal portion is between 100 and 150 grams of cherries”, says the dietician.
“”That said, it is a food that contains many antioxidants – so they do not deserve to be “demonized”. Even if the cherry glycemic index is high for a fruit, it is not comparable to cakes that are empty calories. My opinion, in summary: yes to the cherries within a balanced meal, even when you are diabetic! “