Avoid This Kind Of Yogurt If You Have Diabetes
Yogurt can be a great breakfast or snack option, and the single serving cups are delicious and convenient. But do you know how much sugar is in some of these fruit-flavored yogurts, and how that can affect you if you have diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition that affects how well the body is creating or using insulin (via American Diabetes Association). When you eat, the body breaks down carbohydrates into blood sugar, or blood glucose, and uses it for energy. To get the blood sugar into the cells for use, the body produces insulin, which works like a key unlocking the cells to let the glucose in from the bloodstream. In Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't make any insulin at all. In Type 2 diabetes, the body makes insulin but doesn't use it correctly.
Consuming too much sugar can cause a blood sugar spike in those with diabetes, which can result in fatigue, headache, blurred vision, increased thirst, and frequent urination (via Healthline). If chronic high blood sugar is left untreated, it can lead to heart disease, blindness, neuropathy, and kidney failure.
How fruit-flavored yogurts affect your blood sugar
The recommended daily limit of sugar is about 12 teaspoons per day, according to WebMD. However, the average American consumes about 17 teaspoons a day. Sugary drinks, processed foods, bread, candy, and baked goods are major sources of added sugar. And sweetened dairy is also a common culprit.
A popular yogurt cup is Dannon's Activia, for example. Their Tropical Fruit on the Bottom Greek Nonfat Yogurt has 20 grams of sugar in a 150 gram serving, according to the United States Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. This equates to about 5 teaspoons of sugar, nearly half of the recommended daily limit (via Harvard Health Publishing).
Since this could spike your blood sugar or insulin, it could be more beneficial to consume plain, whole milk yogurt with no added sugar, according to Healthline. This could also be good for your overall health, helping to improve your appetite, aiding in weight control, and enhancing gut health.