Is papaya good for people with diabetes?

People with diabetes either do not produce enough (if any) insulin or their body no longer responds with the effect it should have on their blood sugar levels.

When your body digests foods containing carbohydrates, they break down into glucose. Insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells so you can use it for energy. When there is not enough insulin or it does not work as it should, your glucose (blood sugar) levels rise.

While fruit is very healthy, it does contain natural sugars. But it’s a common misconception that fruits must be avoided due to these sugars. Instead of avoidance, people living with diabetes will need to manage their portions.

People with diabetes can eat papaya, a fruit rich in antioxidants, potassium, and fiber.

Papaya and diabetes

Papayas are soft and juicy, a common addition to smoothies and salads and a pleasant fruit to include to meet your five-a-day (aka five servings of fruits and vegetables per day).

They have antiviral and heart-healthy properties that can help protect you from various health conditions. This can be important for people with diabetes.

Benefits

Papayas have a variety of health benefits, including the following:

• Diabetes management: Papayas are rich in flavonoids. Naturally occurring flavonoids can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. However, more research with human participants is needed to support this as a method for lowering blood sugar levels in diabetes.
• Eye health: Papayas have a high concentration of carotenoids. According to a research review from 2021, consuming more carotenoids reduces damage to the retina in people with age-related macular degeneration, a common complication of diabetes.
• Antioxidants: Papaya’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties effectively prevent oxidative stress-related damage. A research review from 2022 details how the antioxidants in fermented papaya protect against the damaging effects of conditions like anemia, diabetes, and aging-related damage to your skin while boosting your immunity.
• Heart health: Lycopene from papaya helps improve the proportions of “good” versus “bad” cholesterol in your bloodstream, which helps to decrease your risk of heart disease and blocked arteries.

Possible risks

Papaya is a fruit, and fruits are naturally sweet, with a high level of natural sugar. Consuming sugar affects blood glucose levels, so it is understandable for people with diabetes to be cautious about eating it.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of fresh raw papaya contains around 11 grams of sugar. If you have type 2 diabetes, it is best to avoid eating too much sugar to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

People living with type 1 diabetes can eat fruit but will need to match the amount of insulin needed to keep blood glucose in the target range.

Even though papaya contains sugar, it has a glycemic index (GI) score of 60. Gl measures how quickly a food item will cause your blood sugar to rise. This makes it easier for people with diabetes to predict and maintain a healthy blood sugar level between meals.

This is a moderate score, meaning that papaya will not cause your blood sugar levels to rise too quickly.

Diabetes treatments

Treatments for type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different. People with type 1 will need insulin replacement, while those with type 2 are more likely to manage blood sugar levels with lifestyle changes, other types of medications, and possibly insulin.

If you have either form of diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly may help prevent complications such as heart disease.

It’s important to keep up with all your regular diabetes checkups so that a healthcare professional can make sure your current treatment plan is working.

Type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in your pancreas, islets of Langerhans, that produce insulin. This means your body needs you to administer insulin through injections to keep your blood sugar levels safe.

There are different types of insulin available:

• Rapid-acting insulin: This takes 15 minutes to work and lasts up to 4 hours. It includes insulin aspart (Novolog).
• Short-acting insulin: This takes 30 minutes to work and lasts up to 6 hours. It includes Humulin R.
• Long-acting insulin: This works after several hours, lasting up to 24 hours. It includes insulin detemir (Levemir) and insulin glargine (Lantus).

Type 2 diabetes

Some people with type 2 diabetes do not need medications to help them manage their blood sugar levels because dietary and lifestyle measures are enough.

But if you do need medication, it may include the following oral tablets that help increase your insulin sensitivity:

• Biguanides: These drugs help decrease the release of glucose from the liver and reduce insulin resistance. They include metformin (Riomet) and drug combinations that include metformin, such as Metaglip or Janumet.
• DPP-4 inhibitors: These help your body produce more insulin. They include alogliptin (Nesina).
• Sulfonylureas: These drugs stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin. Examples include glimepiride (Amaryl) or glipizide (Glucotrol).
• Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors: These drugs work by telling the kidneys to release more glucose into the urine. They may help protect the kidney from damage caused by diabetes. Examples are empagliflozin (Jardiance) and dapagliflozin (Farxiga).
• Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: These injected drugs help slow the emptying of the stomach, decrease glucose released from the liver, and increase insulin production. They may help prevent heart and kidney issues and help with weight loss. Examples include dulaglutide (Trulicity) and semaglutide (Ozempic). There is also a new oral form of semaglutide (Rybelsus).

Type 2 diabetes may also be treated with insulin. If you have had diabetes for longer or if you also have kidney or liver concerns, you may need insulin to manage blood sugars. It is important to follow your healthcare professional’s instructions and monitor blood sugar levels if you take insulin.

If you need help covering the cost of medications, Optum Perks’ free Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.

Summary

While diabetes is a chronic condition, it is possible to live a long and healthy life if you manage your blood sugar levels well.

An important part of that is your diet. Fruit is an important source of antioxidants, so it’s important to balance your blood sugars with fruits like papaya. Papaya has a range of benefits for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.