- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She's a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She's a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor of diabetes content on Mayo's health information website and for "Mayo Clinic The Essential Diabetes Book." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
Risk factors (1)
- Diabetes: Does alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
Symptoms (1)
- The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
Tests and diagnosis (1)
- Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA): What is it?
Complications (1)
- Diabetes: How do I help protect my liver?
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
- Blood glucose monitors: What factors affect accuracy?
- Avandia and Actos safety concerns: What should I do?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Lifestyle and home remedies (11)
- Caffeine: Does it affect blood sugar?
- Diabetes: Are electric blankets off-limits?
- Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
Prevention (2)
- Sodium nitrate in meat: Heart disease risk factor?
- Healthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
I’ve heard that you shouldn't eat sweet fruits such as chikoo or mangoes if you have diabetes. Is this true?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
It is a common myth that if you have diabetes you shouldn't eat certain foods because they are "too sweet." Some fruits do contain more sugar than others, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat them if you have diabetes. The total amount of carbohydrates affects blood sugar levels more than does the source of carbohydrates or whether the source is a starch or sugar.
One serving of fruit should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates. The size of the serving depends on the carbohydrate content of the fruit. The advantage of eating a low-carbohydrate fruit is that you can consume a larger portion. But whether you eat a low-carb or high-carb fruit, as long as the serving size contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, the effect on your blood sugar is the same.
The following fruit servings contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates:
- 1/2 medium banana
- 1/2 cup (83 grams) cubed mango
- 1 1/4 cup (190 grams) cubed watermelon
- 1 1/4 cup (180 grams) whole strawberries
- 1/3 cup (80 grams) sapodilla (chikoo)
- 3/4 cup (124 grams) cubed pineapple
Low-phosphorus diet: Best for kidney disease?
- Delahanty LM, et al. Nutritional considerations in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 20, 2011.
- Carbohydrate counting. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/carb-counting/. Accessed July 20, 2011.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed July 22, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on