Is Sapota (Chikoo) good for Diabetes? Check Glycemic Value

Last updated on September 27th, 2022

Fruit is rich in vital nutrients like fiber. It forms a healthy part of a balanced diet and people use fruit as a snack as well. Yet, there are a few fruits that contain a high sugar content. And, this may lead to a rise in blood glucose levels. One such high sugar fruit is “sapota” or “chikoo”. Diabetic patients should keep a proper check on their sugar consumption. This helps to prevent these blood glucose spikes. Read this article to know the top 10 astonishing sapota benefits for health and also check whether sapota for diabetes is true or not.

What is Sapota?

This fruit is commonly termed as Chikoo or chiku fruit in India. These are round-shaped sweet fruits cultivated on huge evergreen trees.

Sapota is usually brown in colour and oval or round in shape. Its external skin is rough in texture.  Also, the internal flesh of sapota is brown in hue. Yet, chikoo fruit has a fleshy and soft texture, contrasting to its external covering. Also, there are 2-3 seeds present in the flesh of sapota. People eat the fruit with the internal flesh. However, they may peel it before having. The seeds are inedible and should be thrown away.

Sapota is one of the most pleasant fruits available in the market. Also, they are amazing in taste. Be it hair, skin, or immunity booster, Chikoo is just a great inclusion to any diet fulfilling all the body demands.

For kids also, sapota’s mild and sweet flavours make a good snack option. Sapota offers a range of health benefits and is beneficial for the gut.

Also Read: Lowering Blood Sugar Level in Few Easy Steps

Chikoo Nutrition

This table represents several nutrients and its amounts present in 100 g of sapota:

Hence, a person may notice that sapota is full of nutritional goodness.

Is Sapota Good for Diabetics?”

To be crisp and clear, this fruit is safe for diabetics in moderation and small amounts.

Diabetes may hinder with a person’s daily dietary requirements and food choices. When diabetes crops up, food habits demand an additional attention. This blood sugar disorder demands special attention and a lot of constraints on regular eating habits.

Food portions are very important for a diabetic person. A well-regulated consumption of foods works great for a person’s health. The similar criterion is applicable for the intake of sapota. It is one of the naturally sweetest fruits.

Sapota contains already present sweetness and this is due to direct sugars (carbs). Unregulated quantities of these sugars may damage a person’s blood sugars. Hence, it is really vital to remember the daily restrictions of Sapota intake.

As per healthcare providers, diabetics should avoid such fruits rich in sugars or take them in fewer amounts.

Also Read: Normal blood sugar levels chart

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of Sapota

The glycemic index of chikoo is low. That implies that it falls in the range of GI 0 to 55. However, why is sapota intake controversial for a diabetics’ health? It is due to the sweetness of this fruit.

Too much sweetness might not be damaging, as shown by its GI score. Also, the GL value of sapota is low. It falls below the GL score of 10. This shows that low amounts of this delicious and sweet fruit won’t bring any harm to a person’s health, particularly a diabetic.

Now, what this ‘low’ or ‘controlled’ amount signify, let’s see?

As per many experts and dieticians, the recommended limit of Sapota is one fruit per day. One chikoo is safe and advisable amount for people with diabetes. Also, sapota packs a major portion of water. This reduces its flesh amount which comprises the carbs. Now, you must be knowing the answer of, is chikoo good for diabetes?

Sapota Benefits 

We hardly know the benefits of the fruits that we consume. The same thing is with sapota-not many of us are aware of the health benefits of sapota. Here is some best sapota benefits that you should know:

Energy source

Sapota is a rich source of calories and sugar. This makes it a complete energy source. Sapota is an instant energy source. Thus, a person may have it during a workout session. The fruit refills a person’s body with a quick source of natural energy. In addition, chikoo is an excellent option for kids and pregnant females. It meets their amplifying energy needs and benefits their overall health.

Immunity-Booster

The fruit contains rich amounts of antioxidants and vitamin C. Both aid in building a person’s immunity. Polyphenols in sapota help in fighting harmful toxins and reduces the risk of illnesses. Also, the fruit contains powerful anti-viral and antibacterial properties. These work as safety devices for the body system from damaging microorganisms.

Also Read: Reverse Diabetes with these Simple Steps

Anti-inflammatory 

Sapota and its plant compounds are anti-inflammatory. This fills the fruit with a whole plethora of health benefits. Chikoo helps to ease digestive inflammation and protects the body from digestive problems. These gut issues can be gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and enteritis. Anti-inflammatory food products are also a benefit against inflammatory diseases like joint pain and inflammation. Also, inflammation associates with health problems such as cancer, obesity, heart disorders, and diabetes. Including sapota or other inflammation-fighting foods in one’s diet ensures an improved health.

Sapota Benefits for Hair

Chikoo comprises vital nutrients needed for a person’s hair health. However, are you aware that sapota seed oil is more useful than its flesh when the topic of hair health comes?

Oil from sapota seeds assists in unstiffening and moisturizing a person’s hair. The oil is effectual when a person has uncontrollable curly hairs. Sapota oil mitigates itchy skin problems such as seborrheic dermatitis. Also, it supports a healthy hair growth.

For best outcomes, people grind the sapota seeds and make a paste. After that, mix it with castor oil. People apply this combination to the scalp and wash it off the very next day.

Sapota Helps in Lowers Blood Pressure

Sapota comprises 2 minerals vital for a healthy, normal blood pressure. And, these are potassium and magnesium. Magnesium helps in dilating and widening the blood vessels. This makes the supply of blood easy in the body system. Potassium aids in removing sodium from a person’s body. The higher is the amount of potassium in the body, the more the body removes sodium via urine.

High blood pressure and sodium content are related very closely. In fact, treatment of hypertension includes lowering one’s salt intake as it comprises sodium. Potassium and magnesium-rich foods such as sapota may affect blood pressure.

Sapota Skin Benefits

Sapota contains multiple vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers. All these makes this fruit one of the great fruits for healthy and shining skin.

Vitamin E in sapota moisturizes a person’s skin. As a result, it provides a healthy and shining skin. Also, sapota is rich in antioxidants that work as an anti-aging agent. It works by destroying free radicals in the body accountable for increasing the aging process.

Sapota seeds comprise kernel oil that aids to decrease skin inflammation and painful skin problems. A person may use this oil as a dressing on aching skin diseases.

Sapota Promotes Digestive Health 

Sapota contains a good number of dietary fibers and compounds (tannins). It neutralizes the secretion of acids in the gut. Thus, it is helpful to treat hyperacidity signs. Also, sapota is an excellent laxative offering relief from constipation. It reduces intestinal infections as well.

Sapota: Best for Pregnant Females

This fruit is a vital source of carbs and vital nutrients. Sapota is helpful for pregnant women. It aids to decrease weakness or other signs of pregnancy like nausea and drowsiness.

Sapota Helps in Cancer Benefits

Sapota comprises a high dose of antioxidants. The fruit is associated with reduction of risk of various types of cancers. It comprises a healthy amount of vitamins A and B. And, this is useful for maintaining numerous mucus linings in a person’s body. This in turn aids to decrease the risk of lung and oral cancers. In addition, chikoo contains dietary fibres. And fibres are good for controlling healthy bowel motions. This is very important to prevent the onset of colon cancer.

Sapota Effectively Benefits Bones 

Sapota is a delicious fruit, rich in iron, calcium, and phosphorus. And, this maintains the strength of bones. If a person has consumed sapota regularly, he or she may not require supplements later in life. Vital minerals in sapota may be useful to facilitate body functions like bone growth.

Also Read: Can Diabetic Patient Eat Apple?

Choosing and Storing Sapota

Sapota comes in the market all over the year. Mature sapota seems brown in colour. And, it easily separates from its stem without draining its latex. To ascertain maturity of sapota, scratch the fruit to locate whether sapota’s skin is green or not.

A person must purchase fruit having a smooth, intact skin. There must be no wrinkles, cuts, or bruises on the fruit. The mature fruit produces to mild pressure of thumb. It is better to keep the mature unripe sapota at room temperature for 6-10 days for ripening. And, hard, ripe sapotas are safe to be kept in a fridge for some days at home.

Also Read: Anjeer Benefits

Ways of Serving Sapota

• Wash the dirty covering prior to consuming in running water.
• People have this sapota one time in a day when it turns soft.
• People may cut sapota into 2 parts. Then, they can scoop its flesh utilizing a spoon and throw away the seeds.
• Sapota is adored fruit as it’s extremely dominating in flavour and taste.

Other ways of serving this sweet fruit can be:

• Fresh sapota is a good inclusion in fruit salads.
• People may use this fruit in a tasty halwa, barfi, or kheer.
• Sapota smoothie or a milkshake are also energy-boosters.
• People can also use sapota while making cakes, jams, jellies, ice creams, pie, or other desserts.

FAQs:

References:

1. https://www.beatdiabetesapp.in/can-diabetics-eat-sapota-chikoo-9-benefits-glycemic-index/
2. https://pharmeasy.in/blog/8-great-benefits-of-sapota-or-chikoo/
3. https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/sapota-chickoo-7-amazing-health-reasons-to-add-chikoo-in-your-diet

Last Updated on September 27, 2022 by Dr. Damanjit Duggal