Washington: Just eating a serving of leafy vegetables or three servings of fruit daily cuts down risk of developing Type-II diabetes, according to the latest research.
However, the research team found that one serving of fruit juice a day increased the risk of Type II diabetes among women. Researchers were drawn from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health.
Tulane epidemiologist Lydia Bazzano said: "Based on the results of our study, people who have risk factors for diabetes may find it helpful to fill up on leafy greens like lettuce, kale and spinach and whole fruits, like apples, bananas, oranges and watermelon rather than drink fruit juices, which deliver a big sugar load in a liquid form that gets absorbed rapidly."
Bazzano and her team analysed 18 years worth of diet and health data from 71,346 nurses who participated in the Nurses' Health Study from 1984 to 2002, said a Tulane release.
Besides emphasising the importance of eating whole fruits and green leafy vegetables to prevent diabetes, the team also recommended replacing refined grains and white potatoes with whole fruit or green leafy vegetable servings. White flours and potatoes have been associated with an increased risk of diabetes.
The study was published online in Diabetes Care.