Sago is an important fruit food. During the fast, people eat khichdi, vada, papad and other delicious dishes made from sago. Some people do not consider sago as rice, but some people call it fasting rice.
In such a situation, the question arises whether diabetes patients can eat sago. Many times people do not know what effect eating sago will have on the body. People who do not consider it as rice, start consuming it heavily. In such a situation, if you are a diabetic patient then it is very important to know whether you can eat sago or not in diabetes?
What is the glycemic index of sago?
According to Dr. Alok Joshi (Senior Director, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh), the glycemic index (GI) of sago is quite high, which is considered to be between 70-85. This means that it can increase blood sugar rapidly.
Can diabetic patients eat sago?
Sago is primarily rich in carbohydrates (starch) and has little fiber or protein. Therefore, diabetic patients should not eat it at all. Eating sago with sugar is completely prohibited. Due to this, blood sugar increases rapidly and the stomach does not remain full for a long time, one may feel hungry again and again.
How to eat sago in diabetes, so that it causes less harm?
- If you are eating sago then eat it in limited quantity. Avoid eating too much sago at one time.
- Eat it by mixing it with protein like peanuts, curd or cheese. This slows down the effect of sugar.
- Add fiber to sago. Like make Sabudana Khichdi with green vegetables.
- Do not eat sago on an empty stomach, it increases the risk of sugar spike.
- Caution is necessary while eating sago during fasting, hence during fasting people eat sago in large quantities, due to which sugar can increase suddenly.
Who should not eat sago?
- whose sugar is already uncontrolled
- who are on insulin or medications
- People who are overweight or have insulin resistance
Sabudana is definitely delicious, but one should avoid eating it in diabetes. If you are eating sago occasionally then it should be taken in a very balanced quantity. It would be better to include it in the diet as per the advice of the doctor or dietitian.