Is Curd Good for Diabetes Patients?
This is the question that we get to listen to from many people who are struggling with diabetes. It is no joke that in all these years Diabetes mellitus has grown up and has become the top health disease globally. If you are diagnosed with Diabetes it becomes a journey of a lifetime to get rid of the disease. The major concern people have is what to eat or what not to eat as they deal with weight issues. In this piece of article, we will focus on understanding the possibilities of eating curd for diabetes. By digging into every concept we will understand what qualities curd has that suit diabetic patients.
For us to understand the various features of curd let us understand what diabetes is first. Diabetes makes blood sugar levels get out of control. Your body stops using and producing glucose from the food that you consume.
What is Diabetes:
Diabetes comes in various forms Type 1, Type 2, gestational, and many more which are uncommon. All of them have an abundance in the bloodstream. Diabetes is treatable. This gives you a chance to live a healthy life with various medications and lifestyle changes.
Diabetic patients need to take insulin to overcome the disorder. Insulin pump therapy is one way of taking insulin just like the insulin pens and injections. These therapies are hassle-free. There are many various types of insulin pumps available on the market. Insul by Agva is an insulin pump manufactured for diabetic patients. Along with the medications it is very important to change lifestyle patterns.
Turns out that consuming a small bowl of curd will help you manage your diabetes. The Journal of Nutrition concluded that curd consumption, with a healthy balanced diet, will reduce the risk of diabetes.
Also Read: A Guideline to Insulin Pump Therapy For Type-1 Diabetes
Key Takeaways:
- Curd contains proteins. Is rich in good carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, calcium, and minerals.
- People with diabetes and heart issues can include curd in their diet plan.
- Excessive consumption of curd is unhealthy and can never benefit you.
- Curd makes your bones and teeth stronger, aids weight loss, takes care of the heart and improves body immunity
Let us now look into the various facts that make curd good for diabetes and diabetic patients.
Is curd good for diabetes patients? If yes, how?
Studies show that curd acts as an antidiabetic food and also increases the level of good cholesterol i.e HDL and simultaneously lowers the bad cholesterol level. Curd consumption is beneficial to those with diabetes as it lowers the lipid level which gives rise to several heart disorders. Therefore, curd consumption is highly recommended for diabetic patients but in a moderate form.
Curd for diabetes: knowing the nutritional value
Curd is good for diabetes patients as it is the most ancient processed food present all around the world. In the initial days, the curd gets prepared by letting it get fermented by the bacteria in a warm place. The bacteria that convert milk into curd are very beneficial for human health. Each gram of curd contains 100 million bacteria that are life. This bacteria is a probiotic that improves the gut.
Below is the total curd nutritional values:
Protein- 3.5g
Carbs- 4.7g
Sugar- 4.7g
Fiber- 0g
What makes curd good for diabetes patients: advantages of curd for diabetes.
To start with, the curd is rich in low carbs which is very crucial for the diabetic diet. Diabetic patients consume food with low carbs which helps them manage their blood sugar levels easily. What happens when we consume high-carb foods, it surges the blood sugar level. Therefore, always go for the low carb food and curd is one such example. This makes curd good for diabetes patients.
Curd is rich in various nutrients as we saw above but is highly rich in proteins. What does that mean? Proteins take much longer than any other substance to digest, which makes curd the longest to digest as it is full of proteins. Due to this, you feel full for a longer period and need not eat much. This eventually aids in weight loss. 100 grams of curd contains ten grams of protein, which makes curd good for diabetes. Curd also is low in GI. This makes curd a highly digestible and absorbed food item that is good for health.
Now that we got this idea as to why curd is good for diabetic people we have jotted down below the key advantages of curd for diabetes:
- The low glycemic index of curd makes it good for Diabetes patients.
- Curd is a huge source of various nutrients like protein, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.
- Low carbohydrate content makes it a good food to be consumed by diabetic patients.
- Curd is a healthy snack for people having diabetes.
- Curd is capable of lowering blood sugar levels as it is rich in phosphorus and calcium. Both these nutrients help the development of teeth and bones.
- Another form of curd, known as probiotic curd improves body metabolism and reduces inflammation, especially for people with T2D.
Various ways to consume curd for diabetes: the right time for curd consumption
- Buttermilk: Summers are around the corner and drinks are our escape from the heat. Drink a glass of buttermilk every day only in summer and keep your mind calm and cool with its cooling refreshments. There are various techniques to make buttermilk. You can mix curd with water and add a pinch of salt, this gives basic buttermilk that anyone can make. Some people use tadka in their buttermilk to make it more happening.
- Curd with spices: Spices eaten in a balanced quantity are beneficial for health. The addition of spices to any dish enhances its taste. You can make a spiced curd by putting various spices like salt, black salt, hing (asafoetida), chili powder, and cumin powder and mixing them up. It serves a great tasty dish that can be eaten with a meal and by the diabetic patient too.
- Vegetable raita: This one is the favorite of millions of Indians and is a must to have side dish in Indian meals. Easy to make and most delicious raita is made by adding chopped vegetables like tomatoes, onion, and cucumbers. add water and dilute the curd. Also add some spices like salt, cumin powder, and red chili powder and have it as a side dish.
- Curd in Smoothies: You can add curd to your smoothies and have them whenever you need, preferably morning or evening. Choose 2 or 3 fruits that are diabetes-friendly and blend them in a jar, add curd accordingly. Smoothies keep you full for great hours and also contain the whole nutritional values required by the body.
Also read: Is eating Paneer good for diabetes? 5 pros of adding paneer to your Diabetic Diet
- The right time to consume Curd for diabetes: Quick Takeaways
- Avoid having curd at night if you have diabetes because it is not good for night consumption.
- It leads to mucus development if consumed at night.
- Avoid consuming a curd empty stomach as it kills the lactic acid bacteria that leads to acidity.
- Consume curd during the day. (Source: Various)
What do the researchers have to say about curd for diabetes patients?
Curd comes under the category of fermented foods that contain bacteria which is good for the stomach. These bacteria are known as Probiotics and as we know probiotics take care of the gut. Although the research is still going on related to gut health it is already researched that your gut plays an extremely important role in other health conditions.
Curd consumption is highly associated with maintaining lower glucose levels and taking care of insulin as per recent research. It also lowers systolic blood pressure. Therefore, according to various recent studies on the internet, it is suggested that including curd in your diet can help in diabetes control, hence it is recommended to consume curd in moderation.
To sum up
Change is the only constant. And this is with most of the things in life as well as with the Diabetic diet. For many of us, the question will remain the same whether eating curd for diabetes is good for diabetes patients.
Although we have given our take on adding curd to your meal plan at the end of everything it depends on you. You will decide what suits your body and thus you are the final decision-maker. We would suggest you check your blood sugar level after consuming curd once and it will give you an idea of what suits your body. And if curd suits you make sure you consume it in moderation as the excess of anything is dangerous. Stay healthy!
