Tapioca has become a food that practically the whole country uses, mainly because it provides energy for the body. But, how does tapioca influence the blood glucose of people with diabetes?
Can people in this condition make use of tapioca? In these cases, do preparation and consumption require more appropriate care?
Continue reading and discover the influence of tapioca on the glycemic index of people with diabetes.
Contents
What is tapioca?
The person can use the name tapioca for the tapioca flour or for the dish that the individual prepares with it. This tapioca flour, formerly artisanal and now sold in any supermarket, is cassava starch, gum or sweet starch.
The cassava, after being peeled, is crushed, washed, and left to soak. Subsequently, it is strained and pressed to remove all the liquid, which, in turn, is set to decant (a starch is deposited at the bottom of the decanting container).
In this way, 3 products are obtained:
- grated, washed, and pressed cassava which, after being roasted and ground, gives rise to cassava flour ;
- the liquid resulting from the decantation known as Manipuri ;
- the decanted product that constitutes starch, manioc flour, or tapioca gum.
It is with this starch that the dish so appreciated and known as tapioca is prepared. It can also be said that tapioca is the starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant.
Why do people with diabetes need to be careful with tapioca?
As it is a pure carbohydrate, the tapioca starch macromolecule is made up of several glucose units. This chain is broken during digestion, releasing the numerous glucose molecules that makeup starch.
Tapioca, for this reason, is a food whose glycemic index is high. This characteristic could mean that, when the person digests it, tapioca would raise blood glucose levels more quickly, and that is all that a person with diabetes does not need.
It turns out that in tapioca, part of the starch is in the form of resistant starch, which works as a fiber and is not digested and, therefore, does not release glucose molecules. Therefore, people with diabetes can use tapioca in their diet, but in moderation.
How does tapioca influence blood glucose in people with diabetes?
The Glycemic Index (GI) is the value corresponding to the speed with which the sugar present in a given food reaches the bloodstream, altering blood glucose levels.
In this sense, people with type 2 diabetes need to be aware of the value of the nutrients included in their diet, avoiding hyperglycemia due to low insulin production or resistance by the body.
To get an idea, the GI of tapioca is 115, which makes it surpass sugar itself and French bread in glucose absorption levels. In other words, the body digests food quickly, which can pose a problem for people with diabetes if they overeat or prepare food in isolation.
But calm down, that doesn’t mean you can’t use this product in your diet. Check out, below, some valuable preparation tips that make tapioca a good option for your menu!
So who can eat tapioca?
Contrary to what many may imagine, anyone can use tapioca in their diet. For people with diabetes, however, it is essential that the person moderates this consumption and, preferably, adapts it to the fragile condition of the organism and the high levels of glucose in the bloodstream.
For that, some tips can be valuable. Among them, is the combination of tapioca with other low or medium-glycemic index foods. Likewise, it is possible to combine the nutrient with products that delay the speed at which glucose is absorbed, that is, they reduce the glycemic load of tapioca. It is also recommended to combine the food with others that make meals more satiety. Check it out below!
How to decrease the glycemic load of tapioca?
As seen, due to its carbohydrate composition, tapioca can increase blood glucose levels after ingestion, since its digestion is fast. However, this negative aspect for the person with diabetes can be reduced with a very simple trick.
For you to know how tapioca influences the blood glucose of a person with diabetes, you need to be able to reduce the formation of glucose and avoid blood sugar spikes, just add fiber to the tapioca mass. For this purpose, the person can use oat bran, for example.
With this simple care, part of the digestion will be slowed down, because that’s what fiber does. The result is a smaller amount of glucose molecules available in the blood.
Another important measure that the person can take, both to reduce the glycemic load and to improve its nutritional potential, is to take care of the tapioca filling. A protein filling based on egg or shredded dried meat, for example, would fulfill this role very well.
Therefore, tapioca is not a forbidden food for people with diabetes but just requires some care in its preparation and moderation in consumption. Add to that another tip: the best time to eat tapioca is after physical activity, as it also reduces the glycemic load.
What are the benefits of tapioca as a food?
See below the main advantages it offers to consumers!
Provides the energy the body needs
As it is essentially composed of carbohydrates, tapioca provides much of the energy that the body needs for everyday tasks. In turn, the person with diabetes should moderate its use so as not to cause excess glucose in the blood.
Contains no fat, gluten, or sodium
Considered the 3 villains of food when in inadequate amounts, fat, gluten, and sodium are absent in tapioca. In order to have this advantage, therefore, care must be taken in the preparation so as not to lose the benefits.
Allows you to reduce your glycemic load with simple measures
As it turned out, although originally having a high glycemic index, the person can change this condition with simple measures. Thus, mixing fibers in tapioca flour reduces the immediate availability of glucose in digestion.
Acts in blood pressure control
It is also worth noting the presence of potassium, which helps to control blood pressure. This is because the substance has a vasodilator function, reducing tension between blood vessels. In this sense, the consumption of tapioca can improve blood flow and reduce the incidence of heart problems.
Contributes to bone strengthening
Finally, tapioca also contributes to strengthening bones. The presence of calcium in the food offers greater protection against problems that can arise from the decrease in bone mineral density. For example, osteoporosis, and loss of flexibility, among others.
It has a neutral flavor
The neutral flavor is a great advantage in cooking, especially for people who need to control their eating. This characteristic facilitates combinations with varied ingredients to produce balanced meals, rich in nutrients and, at the same time, pleasant and pleasing to the palate.
