This kind of fruit can be eaten to control sugar and lose weight!

Plums are sweet and sour, and many people like to eat them. But what is their nutritional value? What should we pay attention to when eating them? In fact, the nutritional content of plums is not outstanding among fruits. Only the potassium content is good, which is helpful for controlling blood pressure. It also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as anthocyanins, carotene, catechins, etc. Eating plums regularly is also beneficial for improving blood lipid indicators and protecting cardiovascular health.

Image source: unsplash.com Photographer: Vladimir Gladkov

But plums taste sour and sweet, and many people are afraid that eating them will raise their blood sugar, so they always struggle between eating and not eating them.

In fact, even diabetics can eat plums. When measuring the postprandial blood sugar response caused by food, the glycemic index and glycemic load index are usually used to make judgments. If the glycemic index is below 55 and the glycemic load index is below 10, the impact on blood sugar is not significant. The glycemic index of plums is only 24, and the glycemic load index is only 2.09. Eating 100 grams, or about 4 plums, as a snack for diabetic patients will not have a significant impact on blood sugar.

Image source: unsplash.com Photographer: Shahab Vejdanian

But there are also some things to be careful about when eating plums. Try not to eat unripe plums. Unripe plums contain relatively high levels of tannic acid, which not only affects the body's absorption of nutrients, but may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

In addition, the kernels of fruits of the Rosaceae family, such as plums and apricots, contain a substance called cyanogenic glycoside, which will produce toxic hydrogen cyanide when hydrolyzed after being eaten. If eaten too much, it may cause poisoning.

How should plums be stored? In fact, plums are easier to store than most other fruits and can be stored at room temperature for 5 to 10 days. So, if you don't buy a lot, you can just store it at room temperature and eat it as soon as possible.

Image source: unsplash.com Photographer: Liar Liur

Review | Zhong Kai, Researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center