When life gives you lemons, you may use it to manage your blood glucose levels and also improve your heart health. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is frequently used as a flavour enhancer but there is more to this citrus fruit. It is not only a good source of vitamin C, it can also help you manage diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels. However, it is not the juice but the soluble fiber in the peel that helps. The ideal way to include lemon in your diet would be to either slice and use it as a dressing or topping in your salads after grating its zest (yellow outer peel).
“Lemon consumption can help lower blood sugar level by improving insulin resistance and by slowing down digestion and absorption of sugars,” explains Bengaluru based Soumita Biswas, Chief Nutritionist, Aster RV Hospital.
Delhi based nutritionist Vini Chiranjiv Agarwal explains, “When you consume the fibrous part along with meals, it slows down digestion and the post-meal blood sugar glucose rise may not be as sudden.”
How lemon could help manage diabetes
She explains that lemon is also packed with pectin, a soluble fibre found in the pulp and zest. So if you have lemon along with the pulp and zest it will be more beneficial in lowering the sugar levels.
Apart from the fibre, lemon water sans sugar, can be consumed by diabetics as a refreshing drink or replacement to sweetened beverages because it has no calories or glucose load.
Biswas explains the soluble fibre present in the pulp and the peel also improves gut health which is important for a person with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Lemon and heart health
Another benefit of including lemon in your diet is that the fibre and plant compounds can significantly lower some risk factors for heart diseases. “Plant compounds like hesperidin and diosmin (flavonoids rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) in lemons have been found to lower cholesterol,” explains Biswas.
According to an article published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by O. Benavente-García and J. Castillo many epidemiological studies have shown that regular flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is suggested that flavonoids decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by improving coronary vasodilatation, decreasing the ability of platelets in the blood to clot and prevent low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from oxidising.
Healthy ways to consume lemon for diabetes
Mumbai based dietitian Nidhi Joshi explains that it is not just regular small lemons that we pick from the market that make a difference but also the bigger variety or hill lemons known as galgal. They come with thicker skin and more pulp that benefit diabetics when included in the diet.
She explains the galgal pulp can be mixed with curds, salt, green chillies and a hint of jaggery to partially sweeten it. This preparation can be teamed with crunchy radish or carrot slices. “You can even add bits of lemon skin or zest to it. Alternatively, you can also add this pulp to your salads or daals (lentils),” she explains.
Biswas explains the soluble fibre pectin present in lemon stays in the stomach and helps you feel full for longer. “It can help with weight management,” she adds.
Lemon peel toppings helps to slow sugar spike
The simplest way of including lemon in your diet is by adding lemon juice to your chutneys or vegetable salads as a dressing. It could also be added as a ‘flavour enhancer’ by squeezing it on your starchy foods or breakfast options like poha, upma or sabudana khichdi.
The most effective way is grating the peel and zest and sprinkle it in your fruit bowl or bowl of sprouts. If you are consuming starchy foods like rice, potatoes or corn, teaming lemon juice with it can reduce blood sugar spikes.
According to a randomised crossover trial conducted by Daniela Freitas, François Boué, Mourad Benallaoua, Gheorghe Airinei et al published in European Journal of Nutrition, lemon juice reduced the glycaemic response to bread in healthy volunteers. According to the trial, including acidic beverages or foods in starchy meals appears to be a simple and effective way to reduce their glycaemic impact. The American Diabetes Association has also included lemon in its list of diabetes friendly ‘superfood’.
However, according to Biswas, no food item alone can help a diabetic reverse or manage their diabetes. “Steps that help reduce blood sugar levels are mainly incorporating a fibre rich diet, reducing simple carbohydrates consumption and daily exercise,” she explains. Excess lemon in your diet may cause acidity or indigestion especially those with existing gastric conditions, so it is best to consult your dietitian before incorporating lemon in your daily diet, warns Joshi.
Takeaway
When lemon is consumed along with the pulp and zest it can help reduce the sugar levels because of the soluble fibre and antioxidants present in it. Lemon helps diabetics take care of their heart as well as gut health by reducing cholesterol and oxidative stress.
