This Halloween – Use Pumpkin to Scare Off Diabetes

As Halloween is just around the corner, double your joys with Health Reporter’s medical experts’ findings that pumpkins can help people with diabetes. After conducting a detailed comparison of studies and analyzing the composition of the popular autumn fruit, it became clear that not only its fiber content and the fat in pumpkin seeds have a positive effect on people with diabetes, but other components can contribute to healthy eyes and reduce the risk of some types of cancer too. As if that were not enough, nutritionists claim that pumpkins can even delay aging.

People with type 2 diabetes may benefit from eating pumpkins to help insulin resistance, a risk factor for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. This may help reduce the body’s inability to adjust appropriately to blood sugar. This fruit also aids weight loss because it contains a high concentration of dietary fiber. Having a high fiber content means you’ll feel satisfied for longer, allowing you to consume fewer calories overall.

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Studies have shown that eating pumpkin seeds may also have hypoglycemic effects. Experts at Health Reporter evaluated that the beneficial fats in pumpkin seeds can help people with diabetes control their blood glucose levels. So, instead of coating them in sugar, choose plain pumpkin seeds, using recipes that are safe for people with such chronic health conditions.

You may be under the impression that this Halloween fruit has a high glycemic index. But the fact is, pumpkin has a low glycemic load, which indicates that it will have only a minor impact on blood sugar levels, even though its carbohydrate content gives it a higher glycemic index than average.

Pumpkin is also full of other beneficial components, like vitamins A and C, both important for the immune system to work well. The fruit also contains beta carotene, which gives pumpkins their orange hue, is good for the retina, and helps keep the eyes healthy. As if that weren’t enough, this compound also has other health benefits. “Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that can even reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and delay aging,” says Wendy Lord, RD and Medical Content Author at Health Reporter. Finally, high fiber, which may keep cholesterol levels in check, and potassium, which can do the same but with blood pressure, are also good for you.

When eating pumpkins, avoid unhealthy components. For example, pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie may be high in sugar, affecting blood glucose; therefore, it’s better to eat this Halloween fruit fresh or roasted. And while pumpkin may help with type 2 diabetes, you should still eat a diabetes-friendly diet and exercise regularly to control your condition.