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Despite these benefits, “it should not be consumed freely by people with diabetes as it is high in natural sugar or sucrose”.
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“Diabetics should be very careful while consuming sugarcane juice as the chances of blood sugar spiking and then falling are high after consumption.
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Sugarcane contains higher sucrose levels than fructose (which is mostly found in fruits and does not acutely raise blood glucose),” according to Dr Paula Goel, consultant pediatrician, adolescent physician and the founder of Fayth Clinic.
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Diabetics have insulin resistance, which means while insulin is produced in the body, the cells in the muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to it and can’t easily absorb glucose from the blood.
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As a result, the pancreas makes more insulin to help glucose enter the cells which leads them to get overworked due to sugar spikes, and creates insulin insufficiency in the long run.
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The trick lies in making dietary changes that help keep HBA1C (test that measures the amount of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin) stable.
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While the glycemic index of sugar cane is 43, “which is not very high”, only a small quantity of it may be recommended to be given owing to its other health benefits including its ability to improve gut health as a natural laxative, said Dr Goel.