We all know that for ordinary people, eating fresh fruits and vegetables is good for health, but many people with diabetes do not dare to eat fruit, worried about the high sugar. A study by the University of Oxford in the UK has shown that in addition to reducing the risk of diabetes in the general population, eating fresh fruit is also beneficial for diabetes patients, and can reduce their risk of diabetes complications. The findings are in the journal plos Medicine.
The researchers tracked the fruit consumption habits of about half a million people in 10 regions of China. Seven years later, there were more than 9,500 new cases of diabetes in the study group. After taking into account age, sex, place of residence, socioeconomic status, height and body mass index, and family history of diabetes, the researchers found that those who did not have diabetes at the start of the study had a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes than those who ate no fruit. Among those who already had diabetes at the start of the study, those who regularly ate fruit had a significantly lower risk of death and a lower risk of cardiovascular complications than those who did not eat fruit.
The researchers found that participants who ate fresh fruit daily had a 12 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who ate fruit infrequently. Diabetics who ate fresh fruit more than three times a week had a 17 percent lower risk of death and a 28 percent lower risk of cardiovascular complications.
Researchers believe that the reason why fresh fruit can protect against diabetes and its complications is because it is high in fiber and vitamins. For people with diabetes, it is advisable to choose fruits with low sugar, such as apples, oranges, pears and berries, and eat less or avoid bananas, grapes and tropical fruits.
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