What Fruits to Avoid for Diabetic & Uric Acid Patients

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JOANNE MARIE Last Updated: Aug 14, 2017

Joanne Marie

Joanne Marie began writing professionally in 1981. Her work has appeared in health, medical and scientific publications such as Endocrinology and Journal of Cell Biology. She has also published in hobbyist offerings such as The Hobstarand The Bagpiper. Marie is a certified master gardener and has a Ph.D. in anatomy from Temple University School of Medicine.

Diet is important for both diabetes and gout, two chronic metabolic diseases. In diabetes, the body has a problem managing blood glucose because insulin is too low or cells respond abnormally to insulin. As a result, blood sugar may become too high, compromising the body's energy supply. In gout, the body has a problem metabolizing purines, natural compounds found in many foods. Breakdown of purines produces uric acid, which may crystallize in joints of gout patients and cause severe pain. Both gout patients and diabetics should avoid certain foods, including some fruits that are either rich in purines or that have lots of simple sugar. Consult a doctor to determine a dietary regimen that is appropriate for you.

Bananas

Although bananas are healthy foods in general, they are not a good choice for patients with either gout or diabetes. Bananas are purine-rich, providing about 60mg of purine in a 100 g serving. Diabetics should also avoid eating bananas regularly, because they are high in the simple sugar fructose, with about 20 g in 100 g of banana. High sugar foods cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, a situation that is unhealthy for diabetic patients.

Grapes

Grapes contain significant amounts of both purines and simple sugars, making them poor dietary choices for diabetics and for patients with gout. A serving of green grapes, or 100 g, contains almost 30 mg of purines; this amount of fruit also provides 15 g of simple sugar. Patients should choose other fruits such as cantaloupe or grapefruit, which are low in both sugar and purines.

Raisins and Other Dried Fruits

Patients suffering from gout should avoid raisins since these fruits are produced from grapes, which are purine-rich fruits. Diabetics should also avoid raisins and other dried fruits such as dried apricots and figs. Drying these fruits concentrates their sugars, making them very rich in simple sugar. As a result, consuming dried fruits may cause a rapid and unhealthy rise in blood sugar in diabetic patients.