Managing Nutrition in Diabetic Patients Using Dabino Powder as an Alternative to White Sugar
Dabino Sugar (Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images – iStock)
Over the recent years, and in time passed, diabetes has been a health challenge to humanity not specific to gender, age range as we thought before or nationality as in geographical location and vegetation or climate.
Diabetes is a medical condition of the body deficient with the ability to produce sufficient insulin to break down excess sugar (glucose) in the body, definitely leading to high glucose level in the blood, which has devastating health effects.
Diabetes are of two kinds, Diabetes type A and the Diabetes type B.
Thus since we have now finally resolved to a cure or possible treatment of diabetes, preventive medicine has been a suggestion practiced to manage diabetes.
Diabetes is a factor of high blood glucose unable to be converted to it storage form glycogen; It means that excessive intake of sugars can prick this rise and risk the health complication in the body. Whereas sugar is our major source of energy, as most energy giving foods, carbohydrates especially when consumed ends up as blood glucose. If this be so, do we suggest diabetic patient stay away from carbohydrates?
Starchy foods, Sweeteners , and some sugary dessert and snacks as enlisted as a no go area to diabetic patients. Does this then mean if I have this complication, I won’t eat rice, Garri (cassava flakes) yam, potatoes, ice –cream, alcohol, cube sugars, even some fruits…etc. how will life be more enjoyable without using the taste bud of sweet taste.
Starchy foods and beverages has been compensated for, we have seen Basmati rice, Zero Sugar Cola, and even sugar free bread, but then how do we compensate for our natural cube sugar, for use in our tea, milk and chocolate beverages, pap (akamu), custard, Oats etc. can we trust artificial alternatives as a option, what of the risks of chemical complications, carcinogens , cost implication and availability.
There is an alternative, a very sweet natural alternative, that can serve as a substitute for sugar, and also for it artificial alternatives. An alternative that is affordable, easily available, can easily be processed even locally, with a variety of nutritional and health benefits; the use of Dabino powder.
What is Dabino, and what advantage does it have to be an alternative to white sugars than other alternative?
Dabino is the native name of the soft edible fruit of Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) popular among the people of northern Nigeria.Also, because date palm tolerates a wide variety of soils, it may be found in the lower latitudes within the derived savannah areas of Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Kwara and Benue States, majorly the north central of Nigeria (1).
Dabino are a source of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruit. For this reason, dates are very sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste. They make a great healthy substitute for white sugar (2).
How?
Dabino are high in fructose and fiber, which likely contributes to their low Glycemic index (GI). Fructose has a lower impact on sugar levels than glucose and it does not need insulin for the body to process, making it make sense as a good sugar alternative for diabetics (3).Glucose has a higher GI and requires insulin for the body to process (3).
Dabino has a very low Glycemic index, what does this mean?
The glycemic index (GI) is a way of measuring the effect of carbs on your blood sugar levels.The GI of a food indicates how much the blood sugar will rise from eating food. It’s measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure glucose (sugar) assigned 100 the highest your blood sugar can spike after eating a food. Low GI carbs have a GI of 55 or lower, while those with a high GI are ranked 70 or above. Medium GI carbs sit right in the middle with a GI of 56–69 (2).
A food with a high GI quickly spikes blood sugar This may lead to a blood sugar crash in those who may have Diabetes. A food with a low GI may cause less significant fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels. Despite their sweetness, Dabino have a low GI. This means that, when eaten in moderation, they are a nutritious option for people living with diabetes (4).
How can we prepare Dabino powder?
1) Get cups of fresh whole dried Dabino from the market or a convenient store
2) Using a blade, remove carefully the seeds, and keep away for new planting season
3) After deseeding the Dabino, break them into small pieces, preferable using mortar and pestle as Dabino are hard to cut through with table knife.
4) In a very wide tray, spread them evenly and dried underneath the sun for several days until perhaps a week to two weeks until it is easy to crack open and crispy
5) In a mix grinder, grind the Dabino batch by batch until you get the powder
6) Using a sieve, separate the lumps to have a fine powder and grind the lumps again, repeating the process
7) Alternatively after drying them, collect them and sent to the grinding mill to make powder
8) Store in an air tight bottle or jar for use as an white sugar alternative
Uses and other Nutritional benefits of Dabino powder
· Dabino powder is rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium, and hence are a good source to those with mineral deficiency(1).
· Dabino powder is a potent antioxidant that may benefit those with diabetes. they are high trusted source of polyphenols, which can reduce inflammation in the body. inflammation may plays significant role in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and associated metabolic disorders, such as obesity and high blood pressure (5).
· Dabino powder is also rich in dietary fiber . Dietary fibre helps slow the absorption of sugar into the blood stream, thereby helping prevent blood sugar spikes. Dietary fiber also helps feed a person's beneficial gut bacteria, and important part of a person's health (5).
· Dabino powder are considered a good energy supplement for athletes. Dabino powder can be made into juice may be used in sport drinks like Snapple product and the like to replenish energy electrolytes (minerals) and vitamins (1).
· Dabino powder is a natural source of folic acid, an important micro-nutrient and independent risk factor for cardio-vascular disease (1).
· Dabino powder as humectants due to the presence of pectin and other reducing sugars. Fructose helps in extending the shelf life and freshness of snack food and chocolate bars. When mixed with dough, it holds moisture inside the product; thus maintain the softness quality of the loaf (1).
We have seen how beneficial and nourishing to our health, using Dabino powder as an alternative to our white sugar. Dabino powder even with it given advantage to diabetic patient, it a general natural alternative to artificial sweeteners the world can enjoy.
References
1) Abdullahi, Magaji. (2015). The Potential Of Establishing Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Plantation In Sudano-Sahelian Region Of Nigeria.
2) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dates-for-diabetes
3) https://ilovedatelady.com/blogs/blog/dates-diabetes-and-the-glycemic-index
4) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/are-dates-good-for-diabetics#benefits
Written by Innocent Chidera Ibeto
You must be logged in to post a comment.