Fruit fights diabetes
Extensive study reveals daily fruit consumption can help prevent diabetes or lessen its severity
Fruit is the most natural food for us yet many believe that because it’s sweet, diabetics or people at risk from sugar should avoid it. Results of this impressive, seven-year study of over 500,000 people finally nailed this myth.
The study found that daily consumption of fresh fruit reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 12 per cent and for people who already have diabetes, it reduced the risk of premature death by 17 per cent and the risk of developing diabetes-related complications (heart disease and stroke, kidney diseases, eye diseases and neuropathy) by up to 28 per cent. The relationship between fruit consumption and health benefits was clear – the more fresh fruit the better. And, as the authors highlighted, people should not be told to limit their fresh fruit intake, whether diabetic or not!
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Du H et al., 2017. Fresh fruit consumption in relation to incident diabetes and diabetic vascular complications: A 7-y prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults. PLoS Medicine. 14 (4): e1002279.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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