Are Beets Good for a Person With Diabetes? Sugar Content and Glycemic Index

If you or your loved one is living with diabetes, it’s very important to have a diet that’s helpful in managing sugar levels. Beets are vegetables that are enriched with essential nutrients that reduce your risk of developing higher blood sugar levels.

Also, beets, particularly beetroot juice, are great for your cardiovascular health and can help prevent heart disease. Beets are high in fiber, meaning they can improve exercise performance. Exercising is an activity that’s encouraged for people with diabetes, and for this reason, the American diabetes association has recommended eating beets for people with diabetes.

Is beetroot good for type 2 diabetes?

Beetroot contains enough fiber, and increased dietary fiber consumption helps control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

It helps maintain low blood sugar levels and keeps you fuller for a long period. The high concentration of metabolites found in beetroot might help reduce insulin resistance.

Beet contains more antioxidant properties than most vegetables, and they are a good source of alpha lipoic acid, making it helpful in healing nerve damage in people living with type 2 diabetes. You can also enjoy pickled beets, as they are a great source of electrolytes and iron.

A study revealed that people with type 2 diabetes who ate 3 ounces of raw beetroot noticed an improvement in their metabolism and cognitive function.

Beets Sugar Content

Beetroot juice is a healthy consumption for people with diabetes. However, if you are concerned about its sugar content, you don’t need to be.

It contains a moderate amount of sugar; plus, it’s enriched with lots of fiber, and it’s very low in calories.

A 100g of beets has 10g of carbohydrate, 2.8g of dietary fiber, and 6.76g of sugar.

Beets Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is the comparative measure of how fast sugar levels spike after eating a meal, without regard for serving sizes.

Regular beets have a glycemic index of 64, and this is considered moderate on the GI scale, although it’s higher than other carbohydrate-rich foods. However, it’s unlikely you’ll consume enough beets to drastically affect your glucose level.

What might have an impact on your glucose level is the glycemic load of beets. Beets have a glycemic load of 5, which is very low, and that’s because a large portion of their carbs is indigestible dietary fibers.

So, when consumed in moderation, it’s appropriate for individuals who have diabetes and those who wish to improve their glucose tolerance.

Do Beets Raise Blood Sugar Levels?

Research has shown that beet juice can improve insulin sensitivity in obese and nonobese adults. This research suggests that beet is helpful to individuals with diabetes who want to lower blood sugar levels.

It’s safe to include beets in your diabetes meal plan as it contains vital nutrients that keep the body from developing higher blood sugar levels.

7 Health Benefits of Beets for Diabetes

Consuming beet juice can help lower blood pressure, increase your exercise performance for any physical activity, and lower high-risk diabetes complications.

Let’s have a broader look at the maximum benefits of beet juice.

#1 Beetroot juice can help reduce insulin resistance

One of the metabolites present in beets is “nitrate,” and studies have shown that nitrates can help with insulin resistance. Low nitric oxide is directly associated with low insulin resistance, and the consumption of beets can increase its formation.

Nitrate is also a metabolite found in human blood vessels, but for people with diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors, it’s considerably low. However, synthetic nitrates found in preserved foods can cause harm to one’s health when consumed in large quantities, but the natural nitrates found in beets have beneficial effects.

These nitrates can help in reducing blood pressure and sugar levels as well. One study showed that dietary nitrate supplementation can increase and provide sustained blood pressure lowering.

Individuals with diabetes will benefit greatly from consuming beet and other dietary nitrate-rich foods.

#2 Beets can improve exercise performance

Exercising for even a few minutes can help you both physically and mentally. It can increase your blood glucose level and improve flexibility and strength.

When you consume beetroot, it increases blood nitric oxide, which improves your muscle ability to take up oxygen during exercises or any high-intensity workout. Exercising is known to lower the risk of cardiovascular disorders for people with diabetes.

#3 Beetroot juice can help lower blood pressure

People with diabetes have a high risk of developing heart complications, especially those with type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and microvascular complications such as kidney stones and eye and nerve damage.

Beets contain nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator, and help expand the muscles in your blood vessels, reducing blood pressure levels.

A study showed that hypertensive individuals who consumed beet juice (one cup) every day noticed a significant drop in their blood pressure level, and some experienced an elasticity in their blood vessels, which resulted in better blood flow.

Drinking beet juice and inorganic nitrate were also associated with a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure levels.

You can always opt for canned beets, but make sure you select the type with low sodium and always rinse before eating. Rinsing vegetables reduces about 60% of their salt, and this is particularly helpful for those who want to control their blood pressure.

#4 Beets are high in antioxidants

Beetroot juice contains a lot of antioxidants, including flavonoids, betalains, and phenolic acids. These antioxidants help balance blood sugar levels after each meal. Plus, antioxidants play an important role when it comes to inflammation caused by arthritis, cancer, and liver disease.

The betalains, in particular, protect the cellular components from any oxidative injury.

In fact, research has shown that the predominant component of beet plays a vital role in improving the early phase insulin response and blood glucose function.

#5 Beets may lower the increased risk of diabetes complication

Diabetes can damage the small and large blood vessels, and this can lead to serious complications that may affect the kidney, liver, and eyes, such as diabetic foot disease, retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease.

The antioxidants in beets can reduce free radicals in the body, which are unstable molecules that can damage your blood cells. The cellular damage caused by free radicals is referred to as “oxidative stress,” and this has been linked to several diseases, cancer inclusive.

When you have few free radicals in your body, you are at lesser risk of developing any diabetes complications.

#6 Increases your vegetable intake

Compared to other vegetables, beets are low in carbohydrates, and they can help you spice up your diet. With beets, you can use both the roots and leaves; there’s zero need to waste any part of it.

You can sautee the leaves using garlic and olive oil, or you can always bake, roast, or eat them raw.

#7 Beets are high in fiber and low in carbohydrates

Beets have high fiber levels, and this helps in balancing high blood sugar. Increased fiber intake is good for diabetes as it helps slow down digestion, thus preventing the unstable rise in glucose.

Dietary fibers are important and should be a part of your diet, as they help reduce the risk of various diseases. 

Beets are comparable in carbohydrates to cabbage and significantly lower than one cup of cooked oatmeal. For every 3oz of beets, you have 8g of carbohydrate. So, if you are particular about carbohydrate ingestion, then beets are just right for you.

The carbs in beetroots are simple sugars like fructose and glucose.

How to Consume Beets

Beets are very versatile and can be included in a dish with other vegetables like cabbages, bell peppers, and onions. They can be used in smoothies, salads, and stews.

Including beet and other non-starchy vegetables into your diet will not only reduce the increased risk of health complications but will also add more flavor to your meal.

Another delicious way to eat beetroot is using it in a yogurt dip. Grate boiled beetroot and pour it into your favorite flavored yogurt; you can also add some spices to make it taste better.

Beetroot is also an amazing addition to risottos, or you can try reginetta pasta with beetroot and sour cream if you want to have a fuller meal.

If you are unsure of when to eat beets, take them as a pre or post-workout snack to get the energy boost you need. You can also include it in your keto diet, as keto is good for managing diabetes.

Conclusion

Beets are versatile and can be consumed by anyone, but it’s especially helpful for those without enough insulin. When you consume beetroot often, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your health, but consult your doctor before including it in your meal plan.

In order to reduce the severity of complications associated with diabetes, you need to include antioxidants in your diet. To be on the safe side, always check your sugar levels before and after consuming beets.