Women with type 2 diabetes should have plenty of green leafy vegetables and whole fruits, but should stay away from fruit juice. To examine the association between fruit, vegetable, and fruit juice intake and development of type 2 diabetes, British researchers followed 71,346 women, aged between 38 and 63 years, for 18 years. The participants were free of any cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes at the beginning of the study. Information regarding their dietary intake was collected using food questionnaires every four years. Diagnosis of diabetes was self-reported. The researchers divided women into five groups based on fruit and vegetable intake, and also grouped them based on fruit juice consumption. An increase of three servings a day of whole fruit was found to be associated with an 18 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while a single additional serving of leafy green vegetables cut the risk by 9 percent. However, an additional daily serving of fruit juice increased the likelihood of developing diabetes by 18 percent. A modest increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to fruit juice consumption could be attributed to the fact that sugar in juices are in liquid form that is quickly absorbed by the body. The findings indicate that consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruit is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes, whereas consumption of fruit juices may increase diabetes risk among women.
Diabetes Care
July 2008