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Is fruit bad for people with diabetes?

Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS

Whole fruit is not the enemy; fruit juice is. The fiber in whole fruit slows sugar absorption, and studies link fruit eaters with better, not worse, outcomes.

Practical rules: portion is a piece, not a platter; berries, apples, pears and citrus spike less than very ripe tropical fruit; pair fruit with nuts or yogurt to flatten the curve further.

If you doubt a fruit, test it: check sugar before and two hours after. Your meter beats any internet list.

If you are buying a meter

Any major-brand glucose meter is accurate enough for home tracking. The real cost is the strips, so compare strip prices before choosing the meter.

See glucose meters and strips

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