It is the season of persimmons. When you take a bite of the sweet persimmon, it melts in your mouth and lifts your mood. However, due to its sweetness, diabetics feel anxious while eating. Could their blood sugar levels rise?

I am a diabetic patient in my 40s who was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Before my diagnosis, I enjoyed eating seasonal fruits. Now, I am only craving them but worried about my blood sugar levels.

Q. Can a diabetic patient eat persimmons?

A. Fruits with a high glycemic index... only eat one small piece or less

Persimmon is a fruit with a relatively high glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) of persimmon is 65, which is higher than the 55 threshold for low-glycemic foods. This is similar to the values of sweet potatoes, ice cream, and muffins. It also contains a high amount of simple sugars, making it easy to lead to obesity. Additionally, persimmon is made from the 'Daebong' variety, which has a strong astringent taste, and tannin compounds responsible for the astringency can cause constipation, so caution is advised.

That said, you can't completely avoid eating. Even with diabetes, you can eat persimmons. Diabetes patients usually have restrictions on food intake to control blood sugar levels, but there are no foods they absolutely cannot eat. In other words, as long as you follow the 'appropriate portion size,' you can eat anything.

Eat persimmons in quantities of no more than one, smaller than a fist. The timing of consumption is also important. It is recommended to eat them slowly around 3 to 4 PM, about 2 to 3 hours after a meal. Eating immediately after a meal can cause a rapid rise in post-meal blood sugar levels. If you are concerned about blood sugar, a light walk after eating a persimmon is sufficient!

There's no need for family members to just watch and enjoy eating deliciously because of high blood sugar levels. Eating an appropriate amount of fruit allows you to benefit from the antioxidant effects of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals contained within the fruit.

==========

Seeing this delicious persimmon

You probably can't not eat.

While checking blood sugar

It seems that having one small thing is okay.