Cotton fruit, or more locally popular as Santol, is a round and yellow fruit with a white juicy sweet sour soft sub acid tissue. When the fruit is not ripe, the flesh is even more sour.
Cotton fruit is good for diabetics because it is fiber rich and has a low glycemic index. Fruits with low glycemic index are fibrous and the fiber slows down its digestion which in turn regulates or prevents blood sugar levels to increase. The fiber curtails the absorption of sugar into the blood. Thus, the santol is fruit good for diabetics primarily because of its low glycemic index. Incidentally, the fruit is also great for people attempting to lose weight.
Aside from its low glycemic index, the pulp of the santol fruit is rich in Byronic acid and sandoruim acid which helps in preventing allergies. This also helps diabetics from developing allergic skin which prevents one from scratching which can lead of wounds or infections. The santol also has astringent quality which is an essential ingredient in beauty products. The astringent helps keep the skin firm and young looking. Moreover, santol is also rich in carbohydrates for energy.
Eating santol thus keeps one energized without necessarily needing to eat more food. The fiber keeps one feel fed. It also has iron and vitamin C for improving the body immune system. It also has some calcium for proper bone development. It has Vitamin B for proper cell metabolism. This also helps in food digestion and absorption, which is one of the problems of diabetic people as they are unable to properly absorb the nutrients of the food they eat.
Source: Natural Cures Book