- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
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Question
Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
I have heard that you shouldn't eat sweet fruits such as chikoo or mangoes if you have diabetes. Is this true?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
It is a common myth that if you have diabetes you shouldn't eat certain foods because they are "too sweet." Some fruits do contain more sugar than others, but that doesn't mean you can't eat them if you have diabetes. There's strong evidence that the total amount of carbohydrates affects blood sugar levels more than does the source of carbohydrates or whether the source is a starch or sugar.
One serving of fruit should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates. The size of the serving depends on the carbohydrate content of the fruit. The advantage of eating a low-carbohydrate fruit is that you can consume a larger portion. But whether you eat a low-carb or high-carb fruit, as long as the serving size contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, the effect on your blood sugar is the same.
The following fruit servings contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates:
- 1/2 medium banana
- 1/2 cup diced mango
- 1 1/4 cup watermelon
- 1 1/4 cup whole strawberries
- 1/3 cup sapodilla (chikoo)
- Two dates
