Last Updated on June 6, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Living healthy is a dream and often a goal for everyone. This end may seem like an unachievable one when it is interrupted with hindrances such as – Diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects an individual’s metabolism and, thus, all related functions.
Diabetic patients are advised to put special attention to key food habits. Choice and portions of food matter predominantly. Many healthy fruits and vegetables often make it or do not eat healthy food for diabetics. We will discuss one such fruit today – Pomelo.
You may be wondering about this fruit and its effects on a diabetic patient’s health. Are you curious about …?
- Is Pomelo good for diabetes?
- What is the Glycemic Index of Pomelo?
- What are its components?
- What are the benefits of eating Pomelo?
And so on.
So, without wasting any more time, let us have a good in-depth look at this fruit and its effects on the body and health.
What is Pomelo?
Before going into the details of this fruit, let us first look at its introduction.
Pomelo, to start with, is a fruit of the citrus family. But unlike lemon, limes, oranges, etc., it is a comparatively bigger fruit.
It is most famous in many Asian Countries. It is pointed on the top and has a flat base. The outer peel of the citrus Pomelo is thick and bright green. On the inside, it is usually of a pale yellow hue.
This fruit is scientifically known as – Citrus maxima and Citrus grandis. It is the biggest fruit among the citrus family.
It resembles the size of a grapefruit.
Other than the size similarity between Pomelo and Grapefruit, they are also of the almost same taste. Pomelo is even slightly sweeter and is enjoyed all over.
It is said that eating this fruit is very beneficial to the body. Like the other citrus fruits, the Pomelo is also very nutritious and enriched with vitamins and minerals.
Moreover, it is also very rich in antioxidants. Thus, it is very healthy to add this heavily nourishing fruit to your diet. It can supply various essential elements for the body and keep it protected from disease and discomfort.
We will go through the various advantages that are found from the consumption of Pomelo later. For now, let us answer a very crucial question that is on your mind.
Is Pomelo good for diabetes?
Pomelo is a fruit belonging to the citrus family. There is nothing more than one needs than to add a citrus food in a day’s diet plan in a diabetes meal schedule.
This fruit is a very great option for anyone who has diabetes. It can be included easily without worrying about the heightening of blood sugar levels in the body.
It is low in the glycemic index also. Many fruits in the regular fruit choices do not fall under a healthy category for diabetics as they are rich in sugar. This can lead to the spiking of blood sugar levels.
But the tastes and nutrient factors responsible for constituting Pomelo have no effects that can harm the body’s blood sugar levels. We will discuss the Glycemic Index of Pomelo in detail further in this article.
This fruit is also enriched with several beneficial minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, antifungal, and antibacterial qualities. These will help keep the body safe overall and promote better immunity, which is needed by diabetic patients.
It has lots of vitamin C. the total amount of vitamin C found in Pomelo is three times more than that of other regular fruits. Vitamin C is one of the major things that help immunity to develop and nourishes the body.
In addition to all this, it is also a good agent to promote weight loss. Keeping the body healthy and free from increasing diabetic conditions, maintaining normal body weight is very important.
Thus, it is crucial to look at the many food choices available that keep you fit and refrain from adding extra pounds. Pomelo is one such fruit that will encourage to lose weight and also keeps you full.
Besides, the amount of fiber found in the body is also very high in Pomelo. Fiber is a nutrient that is needed in high quantities for anyone who has diabetes.
Fiber enriched the body with the ability to digest food slower and eventually carry on a good metabolism. It is necessary for the digestive system to breakdown food slow to help absorb it better and without any risks to the body’s blood sugar levels.
The Pomelo is great to better carry on the digestive functions and maintain a healthy blood sugar level.
All in all, this fruit is a great one for diabetic individuals. It crosses almost all checkboxes to make a great addition to one’s diabetic diet. It can be included in your meals without any worries, and it will promote a managed diabetic blood sugar level.
Now let us quickly look at the many other facts about this beneficial fruit.
What is the Glycemic Index of Pomelo?
According to their carbohydrates and their effects on the body, the measure of foods is determined by the Glycemic Index scale. This scale runs from 0 to 100 and accurately measures carbohydrates in food and their influence.
This is hence, a great way to identify which food is best for diabetics and which one to avoid.
The Glycemic Index scale allows values to all food and helps categorize it into safe or unsafe groups.
There are three Glycemic Index categories. Let us have a look at them with the following table:
| Sl. No. | Glycemic Index categories | Glycemic Index ranges |
| 1. | Low Glycemic Index (safe for diabetics) | 0 to 55 |
| 2. | Medium Glycemic Index (safe if taken in controlled quantities) | 55 to 69 |
| 3. | High Glycemic Index (unsafe for diabetics) | From 70 and above |
This shows the margins of classifying food as safe, unsafe, or moderately safe for diabetics.
Wondering what the Glycemic Index of the Pomelo fruit is? We will tell you.
The Glycemic Index of Pomelo is only 22. This is very low and has hardly any effect on the blood sugar level. Thus, it is perfect for anyone who has diabetes.
Moreover, adding this fruit will also reduce your meals’ overall glycemic index without leaving you feeling unsatisfied.
This is one super-food for diabetic individuals.
What is the Nutritional Composition of Pomelo?
Now that we know that this fruit is safe for the body and advantageous in many ways let us see what makes it so healthy.
To know this, we must look at the building blocks or nutrients of this fruit. The table below shows the quantity and types of nutrients found in Pomelo:
| Sl. No. | Nutrients available in 100 grams of Pomelo | Amount available |
| 1. | Calories | |
| 2. | Carbohydrates – Dietary fiber – Total sugar | 10 g – 1 g – 0 g |
| 3. | Fats | 0.04 g |
| 4. | Proteins | 0.76 g |
| 5. | Water | 89.1 g |
| 6. | Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| 7. | Potassium | 216 mg |
| 8. | Manganese | 0.017 mg |
| 9. | Copper | 0.048 mg |
| 10. | Phosphorus | 17 mg |
| 11. | Magnesium | 6 mg |
| 12. | Zinc | 0.08 mg |
| 13. | Iron | 0.11 mg |
| 14. | Calcium | 4 mg |
| 15. | Zinc | 1 mg |
| 16. | Vitamin C | 61 µg |
| 17. | Vitamin A | 5 µg |
| 18. | Vitamin B1 | 0.034 µg |
| 19. | Vitamin B6 | 0.036 µg |
| 20. | Vitamin B3 | 0.22 µg |
| 21. | Vitamin B2 | 0.027 µg |
All the nutrients in the above table show us the various beneficial sides of this fruit. This is low in calories and rich in other nutrients, making it an excellent choice for a healthy diet.
Thus, this fruit is no compromise on either taste or nutrition.
Now, let us have a deeper look at what the various advantages of it are.
What are the benefits of eating Pomelo?
Until now, we talked about how great this fruit is and how it can help the health and body. Now, let us move on to know in detail the good effects of Pomelo on health.
Here is a list of reasons why you should add this fruit to your diet today:
- A good amount of this fruit is still low in calories. Thus, it is perfect for anyone who wants to lose weight. It is rich in nutrients as well as fiber and thus satisfies hunger.
- It is rich in fiber. Therefore, it is great for keeping the metabolism properly functional. Moreover, it assists in avoiding constipation, indigestion, etc.
- It is enriched with a variety of antioxidants. Antioxidants keep the body safe and protected from the harmful effects of free radicals that cause chronic diseases.
- It has antifungal and antibacterial features too. It can hence, protect against microbial infections and infestations in the body.
- It is a fruit and thus on the healthier side of foods. It is good for heart patients too. It has zero cholesterol and does not affect heart health.
- The presence of vitamin C makes it all the more beneficial overall. It is a great addition to one’s immunity. Besides, vitamin C also has anti-aging properties, and therefore, it keeps the skin fresh and glowing.
- It is a great source of energy, proteins, and micronutrients and is ready to eat healthy snacks for everyone.
References
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11596-017-1793-x
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814617309494
- https://phcogj.com/article/687
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778338/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jchem/2020/1043251/?fbclid=IwAR2xVyelup7znICUyi2duJrzmswJ5N6cA7eXg5ipcM5dvLlS9Tj8CwODWIQ
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077915
- https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijfs.13682
- https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/37/suppl_2/W581/1139627?login=true
- https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/8/5/136
