When it comes to our health and wellbeing, it’s fair to say that most of us are aware that our diet is vitally important. Certain foods are known to raise our risk of health issues and conditions, while others can have the opposite effect.
Type 2 diabetes is one such condition that can be influenced by what you eat.
Not only is being overweight or obese a major risk factor for the chronic disease – some foods can also cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
For this reason, diabetics or people at risk of diabetes are typically advised to avoid foods high in sugar.
However, a new study has linked a surprising snack with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes.
According to research, published in BMC Nutrition and Metabolism journal, eating dried fruit can slash your chances of developing the condition.
More specifically, the team found that increasing dried fruit intake by about 1.3 pieces a day could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 60 percent.
This is contrary to previous evidence suggesting that diabetics should minimise how much dried fruit they eat due to its concentrated amounts of sugar.
As part of the study, researchers focused on prunes, dried apricots, and raisins.
They analysed data on more than 421,764 people in the UK, which included dietary surveys. Of these participants, 61,714 people had type 2 diabetes.
One prune, a single apricot, and 10 raisins were all considered one portion for the purposes of the survey.
The study authors concluded: “Our study identified that dried fruit intake reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes through Mendelian randomization analysis [a way to establish a relationship between a risk factor and an outcome based on observational data].
“The results confirmed the potential benefits of dried fruit and provided some insights into daily primary prevention measures for type 2 diabetes.”
However, this study did not look at the health benefits of fresh fruit in comparison to dried.
If you have diabetes, Diabetes UK recommends the following ways to improve your diet:
- Choose healthier carbohydrates
- Eat less salt
- Eat less red and processed meat
- Eat more fruit and veg
- Choose healthier fats
- Cut down on free sugar
- Drink alcohol sensibly
- Get your minerals and vitamins from foods
It also advises regular exercise – at least 150 minutes a week.
Common symptoms of diabetes include:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- Blurred vision
