6 Reasons Why Paprika is Beneficial for Diabetics

Paprika is a fruit that is generally only used as a complement to various dishes. However, who would have thought that peppers have benefits for diabetics. What are the benefits? Check out the review below.

Benefits of Paprika for Diabetics

Peppers come in a variety of colors depending on how ripe they are; ranging from green, yellow, to the most ripe red. Each color of peppers has its own benefits.

Red peppers have the highest antioxidant and phytonutrient content because they are more ripe than other types. The content of these nutrients turns out to make a good contribution to health.

Here are the various benefits of paprika for diabetics, including:

1. Helps Maintain Blood Sugar

One of the phytochemicals in paprika, namely anthocyanin, can inhibit the activity of two digestive enzymes, one of which is alpha-glucosidase. the enzyme helps break down carbohydrates into glucose.

When the enzyme work is inhibited, the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose will be slower. Thus, blood sugar spikes and the risk of hyperglycemia can also be prevented.

Also Read: Getting to Know the Benefits of Eating Apples for Diabetics

2. Prevent Diabetes Complications

Diabetes not only causes high levels of sugar in the blood, but is also accompanied by the formation of free radicals. If left untreated, free radicals can attack various organs of the body, causing complications.

To prevent this, you need to increase the intake of antioxidants into the body. These antioxidants will then neutralize free radicals so they are no longer harmful to the body’s organs.

Fresh peppers are known to contain high amounts of various bioactive components. Some of these bioactive compounds include vitamin C, beta carotene, quercetin, luteolin, and capsaicin.

Consumption of bioactive components can provide good health benefits because they have antioxidant effects, thus protecting the body’s organs from damage caused by free radical activity.

3. Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease

Diabetes can damage the walls of the arteries, so that cholesterol can stick more easily and eventually narrowing of the arteries occurs. In addition, someone with diabetes also generally has lower HDL cholesterol and higher LDL cholesterol.

If this condition is not treated properly, in the long term heart disease can occur.

Peppers have a role to play in preventing this from happening. The content of carotenoids in paprika can increase HDL cholesterol levels and reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Thus the risk of heart disease will decrease.

4. Maintain weight

Having excess weight will increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. This occurs because of the accumulation of fat which will reduce insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it is important to maintain an ideal body weight.

Paprika can be an option to add flavor and texture to food without excessive calories.

In a large green pepper, there are 3 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein, and only 33 calories. The fiber content in it can help you meet your daily fiber needs, prevent constipation, and maintain the balance of intestinal bacteria.

The low amount of carbohydrates and calories in bell peppers can keep you feeling full without fear of consuming excess calories.

Also Read: 7 Choices of Bread that are Safe for Consumption by Diabetics

5. May Reduce Inflammation

Bell peppers contain vitamin C which has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, bell peppers contain the antioxidant quercetin which can reduce inflammation that causes chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

When the body experiences chronic inflammation, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin. In the long term, the body becomes resistant to insulin and more severe inflammation can occur.

This condition will continue to recur and cause blood sugar to be higher which in turn causes type 2 diabetes.

Now,that’s the various benefits of paprika for diabetics that you can get.

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