Tomato Juice and Diabetes - Is It Good For Diabetics
Introduction
Fruit juices are not a good option for people with diabetes due to their high carb content. What about vegetable juices? Are they suitable? This article will discuss the benefits of tomato juice in case of high blood glucose levels.
Glycemic Index and Carbohydrates
Choosing low GI and low carbohydrate diets may help you control your blood glucose level.
Tomato juice has a tiny amount of carbohydrates, 3.53g per 100g and 8.6g per serving (1 cup or 243 grams).
Tomato juice also has a low glycemic index, equal to 31. As Australian researchers reported recently (1), daily intake of tomato juice may reduce the blood clotting ability in people with type 2 diabetes.
Tomato juice doesn't raise blood sugar levels due to its low GI and partly because it contains antioxidants.
However, most tomato juices are with salt, and as research shows, high sodium intake may contribute to high blood pressure (2).
Type-2 Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes can benefit from drinking tomato juice.
Tomatoes have numerous health benefits owing to their high lycopene content.
The study (3) enrolled 14 men and six women between the ages of 43 and 82 who had type 2 diabetes but no history of clotting issues. The participants were randomly assigned to drink 250 milliliters of tomato juice for three weeks. Platelet aggregation was significantly lower in the tomato juice group at the end of the trial. There was no significant difference in platelet aggregation (3).
References
- https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2004/08/20/Daily-tomato-juice-eases-diabetic-symptoms
- https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004937.pub2/full
- https://www.diabetesincontrol.com/tomato-juice-reduces-clotting-in-diabetics/
