Can patients with diabetes eat Gynura bicolor (also known as Malabar spinach or edible leafy vegetable)?
Jun 10, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Feng
Introduction
Generally speaking, diabetic patients can consume Malabar spinach. Malabar spinach is low in calories and will not cause patients to ingest excessive energy, helping to maintain a reasonable body weight and avoiding worsening insulin resistance due to obesity. At the same time, Malabar spinach is rich in dietary fiber, which helps delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, thereby slowing the rise in blood glucose levels and preventing sharp fluctuations in blood sugar.
Generally speaking, diabetic patients can eat Malabar spinach (Basella alba), but should consume it in moderation. Detailed analysis is as follows:
Malabar spinach is very low in calories and will not cause patients to ingest excessive energy, helping to maintain a reasonable body weight and avoid worsening insulin resistance due to obesity, thus benefiting blood glucose control. At the same time, Malabar spinach is rich in dietary fiber, which can delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, slow the rise in blood glucose levels, and prevent sharp fluctuations in blood sugar. Therefore, diabetic patients can eat Malabar spinach in moderation.
However, excessive consumption of Malabar spinach may cause a large intake of dietary fiber, which could worsen symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea. Additionally, if Malabar spinach is cooked with large amounts of oil and high-sodium seasonings or consumed together with other high-carbohydrate foods, it may affect blood sugar and blood pressure control due to excessive total calorie intake or excessive sodium intake. Therefore, it is recommended that diabetic patients consume Malabar spinach in moderation.
In daily diets, attention should be paid to dietary diversification and moderate intake of various nutrients to ensure balanced nutrition for the body.
