Is Akamu good for diabetes? Is pap good for people living with diabetes?
A guy who is DIABETIC want to find out if it is safe for him to eat akamu/ogi/pap. He is worried that eating pap with sugar can raise his blood sugar and make him have poor glycemic control.
His message:
Good morning Sir. I am Kingsley Alabi and I am writing from Akure, Ondo state. I am am 40 years old. I was recently diagnosed of diabetes and my doctor , an endocrinologist placed me on metformin 500mg twice daily and on strict diet. I have been complaint with my medication and i watch what I eat. Just recently, I decided to take akamu and since then my blood sugar has become very difficult to control. My last fasting blood sugar was 234mg/dl. I want to know if akamu is good for diabetics. Thank you.
My reply:
Thank you for reaching out. Pap, popularly called akamu or ogi is okay for people living with diabetes. Akamu has a moderate glycemic index….this means that pap raises blood glucose slowly when eaten and does not cause a rapid raise in blood sugar. Just make sure that when you eat akamu as a diabetic, you add less sugar and put three crowns milk….it is also important to note that akamu made from guinea corn is better for diabetics compared to other types of pap. But make sure you eat with moderation when taking pap. Mr Kingsley Alabi, you sugar probably shoot up because you ate too much of pap and added to much sugar. This will no longer be suitable to be eaten as a diabetic if you don’t want to have a deranged blood sugar.
Akamu has a moderate glycemic index of 59…This means it moderately (not rapidly) increases blood glucose when eaten. So, diabetics can eat akamu but with moderation. Eat small portion and don’t put too much sugar in the pap of you are diabetic.
It is also important for you to know that apart from medications and diet, exercise is also a very important aspect of controlling you blood sugar.
Thank you.
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