Does Orange Juice Help With Low Blood Sugar

What Is Dextrose Made Of

Dextrose is a type of sugar that usually comes from corn or wheat. Dextrose is almost identical to glucose, which is the sugar found in the bloodstream. For that reason, it can be quickly used as a source of energy by the human body. Dextrose is often used in foods as an artificial sweetener or a preservative.

What About Vegetable Juice

Juiced non-starchy vegetables have a lower glycemic index and contain fewer carbohydrates than juiced fruit. The glycemic index of whole vegetables is lower still.

As with fruit, a proportion of the fibre from whole vegetables is likely be lost during the juicing process. Juiced vegetables can play a part in a healthy diet, particularly if juiced vegetables do not replace having whole vegetables.

Test Your Blood Sugar

Test your blood sugar after 10-15 minutes and if it’s still below 4mmol, have another sugary drink or snack and wait another 10-15 minutes before taking a second reading.

If your test shows your sugars are 4mmol or above, eat your main meal and include some carbohydrate or eat a carb-based snack like a couple of biscuits or a glass of milk.

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What Are The Complications Of Low Blood Glucose

Mild-to-moderate low blood glucose can be easily treated. But severely low blood glucose can cause serious complications, including passing out, coma, or death.

Repeated episodes of low blood glucose can lead to

• high blood glucose levels, if worry or fear of low blood glucose keeps you from taking the medicines you need to manage your diabetes8
• hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition in which you dont notice any symptoms of low blood glucose until your blood glucose level has dropped very low

How Much Sugar Is In Glucojuice Berry Burst Shot

From the makers of Glucotabs, GlucoJuice is a handy caffeine free shot-sized sugar boost that can help to treat mild or moderate hypoglycemia. The containers are thoroughly sealed and robust, so they can survive being in satchels, handbags or briefcases. Each 60ml Berry Burst shot pot contains 15g fast-acting carbohydrate.

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Grape Juice Boosts Memory Lowers Blood Sugar

Natural Health News Including a glass of grape juice in the daily diet may boost memory and brain performance particularly for those who lead a stressful lifestyle such as working mothers, suggests a new study.

Previous studies have identified the benefits polyphenol-rich compounds have on brain function in older people. But this new study, from the University of Leeds in the UK, is the first to demonstrate that the cognitive benefits of drinking grape juice may extend to other age groups as well in this case healthy, 40-50 year old working women with pre-teen children.

The women were divided into two groups: one drank 355ml of Concord grape juice daily while the other drank the placebo .

What you need to know

» Results from two new studies released prior to publication suggest that the antioxidant polyphenols in grape juice have benefits for mind and body

» In the first, stressed mums consuming a glass of grape juice a day experienced a boost in memory and brain function.

» In the second, a laboratory study, 100% grape juice was shown to slow the absorption of sugars intestinal cells, suggesting it could have a role to play in improving blood sugar balance.

Fighting the effects of stress

Over the course of 12 weeks, the women were asked to undergo a series of tests that assessed their cognitive performance. One test was a 25-minute driving simulator challenge in which they were asked to match the speed and direction of a lead vehicle.

Benefits for blood sugar too

What Is Diabetes And Why Does Blood Sugar Matter

Diabetes is a condition caused by high levels of glucose – or sugar – in the blood.

Glucose levels are so high because the body is unable to properly use it.

There are many different types of diabetes. While both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are serious and have some things in common, they are very different conditions.

In people with type 1, their pancreas cannot produce any insulin, while in people with type 2, their bodies cannot produce enough insulin.

Insulin is a hormone typically produced by the pancreas and allows glucose to enter the cells in the body, where it’s used for energy.

Common signs you may have diabetes include:

• going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
• being really thirsty
• feeling more tired than usual
• losing weight without trying to
• genital itching or thrush
• cuts and wounds that take longer to heal
• blurred vision

The symptoms are caused by high levels of glucose remaining in the blood, where it cannot be used as energy.

These signs are common in children and adults alike.

But adults suffering with type 1 diabetes can find it harder to recognise their symptoms.

If you’re a diabetic it’s important to monitor your blood sugar levels and most diabetics have test kits at home.

It can help work out when you need to take your medication, when you need to eat something or when you need to get up and move around.

“Its important to remember that everyones different, so what works for you might not be the best option for someone else.

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Does Sugar Content Outweigh The Blood Pressure Benefits

Some clinicians have concerns about recommending 100% orange, which contains about 21 grams of natural sugar.

Melissa Rifkin, RD, a registered dietitian and owner of Melissa Rifkin Nutrition, tells Verywell that she would be interested in seeing if oranges in whole-fruit form, rather than a sugar-laden beverage,” offer the same blood pressure impact. She says that orange juice may not be the best beverage to incorporate into your diet if you have diabetes, since it may cause an unwanted blood sugar spike.

Rampersaud says that there is evidence to suggest that hesperidin may play a role in delaying the absorption of natural sugars found in 100% orange juice, meaning the beverage wouldn’t contribute to blood sugar elevation in the same way that a sugary soda would.

There has been published data supporting this claim, such as a 2014 combining meta-analysis concluding that fruit juice intake had no significant effect on fasting glucose and insulin in adults.

Still, Rampersaud says orange juice is just one part of a heart-healthy diet.

“No food or beverage provides all nutrients,” she says. “It is important to look at the entire package of nutrients a food or beverage provides and how it contributes to overall overall diet.”

Ways To Treat Low Blood Sugar

There are many ways I have treated a low blood glucose over the 10 plus years I have lived with type 1 diabetes, and Ive determined how quickly my body reacts to particular items. Depending on my low, I use a different item to treat it, but always aim for 15 grams of fast acting carbohydrates. For example, if my blood sugar is beginning to trend low, then I will treat with candy, but if my blood sugar is already low , I will treat with juice. However, I always try to be prepared and have either candy, juice, or glucose tabs with me at all times.

Below are five different ways I treat a low blood sugar.

1. Hard Candy

When I receive a Low Predicted Alert from my MiniMed 530G that my blood sugar is beginning to trend low, I will grab hard candy, such as a bag of Skittles, and eat about 15 pieces. Over my 10+ years of living with type 1 diabetes, I have been able to estimate the amount of Skittles needed to raise my blood sugar to my desired levels. I prefer using hard candy to help treat a low because they are easy to carry and store. For example, my wife always carries a small ziplock bag full of them in her purse. That way, no matter where we are, if a low blood sugar hits, I am prepared. I also take a small bag with me whenever I travel, golf, attend meetings, etc.

2. Juice

3. Soda

4. Glucose Tabs

5. Glucose Gel Packs

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Please visit MedtronicDiabetes.com/isi for more details.

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What Is The Best Orange Juice For Diabetics

Orange Juice OJ tastes good, but with 26 grams of carbs in one cup, youre a lot better off eating a whole orange instead. The fiber will help keep you full. If you really want to drink it, try an orange-flavored light fruit drink. Look for a brand with 3 grams of carbs, 15 calories, and 100% of your daily vitamin C.

Exercise Food And Alcohol

For people with type 1 diabetes, maintaining the correct blood glucose level involves balancing how much insulin you inject, the amount of food you eat, and how much energy you burn during exercise.

Hypoglycaemia may occur if you’ve taken your dose of insulin as usual, but your carbohydrate intake is lower than normal or has been used up more quickly. This may happen if you delay or miss a meal or snack, don’t eat enough carbohydrate, or exercise more than usual.

People with diabetes who’ve drunk too much alcohol, or drank alcohol on an empty stomach, can also get hypoglycaemia.

However, it’s not always possible to identify why a particular episode of hypoglycaemia has occurred, and sometimes it happens for no obvious reason.

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Whats Considered Low Blood Sugar

Your blood sugar tends to fluctuate throughout the day. Itll be lower when you first wake up, especially if you havent eaten for the past 8 to 10 hours.

Your blood sugar will go up once you eat. Depending on when you last ate, heres whats considered to be a normal blood sugar range:

Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, is when your blood sugar levels fall below 70 mg/dL.

The point at which low blood sugar symptoms become noticeable is different from one person to the next.

Some people may feel jittery, irritable, or lightheaded when their blood sugar level falls to 70 mg/dL. Other people may not feel any symptoms until well below that mark.

A quick, simple blood test can measure your blood sugar level. If you have diabetes or another medical condition that sometimes causes episodes of low blood sugar, its important to regularly check your blood sugar with a home test.

If a test shows that your blood sugar is below normal, you can take steps to adjust it quickly.

Symptoms of low blood sugar vary from person to person and can even be different from one episode to the next. You may experience specific symptoms the first time your blood sugar dips, and different symptoms the next time.

The most common mild to moderate symptoms of low blood sugar include:

• jitters or shaking

More severe symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

• inability to eat or drink
• seizures
• unconsciousness

A High Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is used to measure the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood sugar levels. The higher the glycemic index, the more a particular food affects blood sugar levels. Orange juice has a glycemic index rating of between 66 and 76 on a scale of 100, depending on the type of juice. Many factors can influence the glycemic index of orange juice, including the freshness of the fruit used to make the juice, whether it is fresh or made from concentrate and whether it has pulp.

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How Many Should You Eat

To keep your blood sugar level within a normal range, its recommended to limit your carb intake to 5060% of your total calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, thats 1,0001,200 calories from carbs or 250300 total grams of carbs per day .

Because of differences in body size and activity level, theres no magic number for how many oranges you should have.

Still, you can safely eat several servings of oranges per day, bearing in mind that one serving of carbs is 15 grams (

Whole Fruit Is A Better Option Than Fruit Juice

It is better to consume whole fruit than fruit juice. Whole fruit has the advantage of having soluble fibre for instance.

Soluble fibre can helps to improve digestion and slows the rate of the rise in blood sugar. It also means that whole fruit represents a less concentrated form of sugar.

It should be noted that people with diabetes should approach whole fruit with some caution too as many whole fruits have a lot of carbohydrate.

The bottom line is that whole fruit is better than fruit juice but should be eaten in moderation. Small portions of fruit are better.

Read Also: What’s The Fastest Way To Lower Blood Sugar

How Does Fruit Juice Affect Blood Sugar

Sugar levels in fruit juice can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of hyperglycemia .

The glycemic index, which is used to reflect the impact on blood sugar levels of individual foods, places orange juice between 66 and 76 on a scale of 100. This makes fruit juice a high GI drink and high GI foods and drinks are best avoided by people with diabetes under most circumstances.

One situation in which fruit juice can be useful is to raise blood sugar quickly in response to hypoglycemia .

Reach For A Whole Juicy Orange For Vitamin C

An orange is an excellent source of pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels, Smithson says. Although they’re sweet, oranges are actually low on the glycemic index , according to the American Diabetes Association . And the lower a food’s GI, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels. Do factor in that one medium-size orange has 15 grams of carbohydrates, Smithson notes.

Oranges provide other key nutrients, including vitamin C. Opt for the whole fruit instead of juice for more fiber and antioxidants that may help prevent cell damage, she adds, as well as decrease any effect on blood sugar.

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Fresh Oranges And Blood Sugar

In general, the majority of your fruit intake should come from whole foods rather than juices, says Palinski-Wade. To understand the extent to which oranges raise your blood sugar levels, you’ll need to know how many total carbohydrates are in the fruit.

One raw Florida orange contains about 16 grams of carbs, 9 of which are sugar, according to the USDA. You can subtract the orange’s fiber content from this total, however, because unlike other types of carbohydrates, fiber does not raise your blood sugar levels. That means the available carbohydrates in an orange totals about 13 grams. The larger the orange, the greater the chances it will affect your blood sugar levels.

Treat Low Blood Sugar To Avoid A Hypo

If you have a device to check your blood sugar level, a reading of less than 4mmol/L is too low, so treat it.

If you dont treat your low blood sugar, you may start to:

• feel weak or sleepy
• have blurred vision or find it hard to focus
• have slurred speech or feel really clumsy
• have seizures or even collapse or pass out

A hypo can also occur when youre sleeping, and it may wake you up during the night, or cause damp sheets , headaches and tiredness when you do wake up.

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Low Blood Sugar The Best Foods For Diabetes Patients

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Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels with diabetes can be tricky. When levels fall too low , its all too easy to overcorrect and end up with high blood sugar .

In most cases, patients can treat their hypoglycemia themselves. The goal is to get sugars back in the bloodstream to bring blood sugar levels within a healthy range. This usually involves eating or drinking something with simple or fast-acting carbs.

But this does not mean quickly ingesting as many carbs as you can. tend to correct with a lot of sugar very quickly. Candy bars big meals should be avoided, says Ana Kausel, MD, endocrinologist in New York City. That will always lead to spiking in the blood sugars after.

The American Diabetes Association recommends the 15-15 Rule. That means consuming 15 grams of carbohydrates, and then checking your blood sugar levels after 15 minutes. Repeat until your blood sugar levels return to a healthy level, or above 70 mg/dL.

As soon as you notice symptoms of hypoglycemia or see that your blood sugar levels are below 70 mg/dL, here are the foods and drinks Dr. Kausel recommends when blood sugar falls too low:

• 4 ounces of orange juice

• 3 glucose tablets

• 3-4 pieces of hard candy

Preventing Low Blood Sugar Levels

Here are some other tips to help you avoid low blood sugar levels:

• Eat all your meals and snacks on time and try not to skip any.
• Take the right amount of insulin.
• If you exercise longer or harder than usual, have an extra snack.
• Don’t take a hot bath or shower right after an insulin shot.
• Stick to your diabetes management plan.
• Check your blood sugar levels regularly, so you can tell if your blood sugars are running too low and your treatment plan needs adjustment.
• Carry something containing sugar with you at all times and take it right away if you have symptoms. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms will go away they may get worse!

Alcohol and drugs can cause major problems with your blood sugar levels, so avoiding them is another way to prevent diabetes problems. Drinking can be particularly dangerous even deadly for people with diabetes because it messes up the body’s ability to keep blood glucose in a normal range. This can cause a very rapid drop in blood glucose in people with diabetes. Drug or alcohol use is also dangerous because it may affect someone’s ability to sense low blood sugar levels.

Learning how to recognize the signs of low blood sugar levels and get them back to normal is an important part of caring for diabetes. Keeping track of your blood sugar levels and recording lows when they occur will help you and your diabetes health care team keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

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