The Link Between Diabetes and Fruit & Vegetable Consumption

There are many healthy reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables, and now there’s yet another – a lower risk of diabetes.

According to an 11-year study conducted by Andrew J. Cooper, M.Phil., of Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, U.K., eating more vegetables and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study was published online recently in Diabetes Care, the journal of The American Diabetes Association.

The study measured the incidence of type 2 diabetes in correlation with the amount and type of fruits and vegetables eaten by the 3,704 participants, who kept seven-day food journals. When comparing the journals, the researchers found that people who ate a greater quantity of vegetables – but not fruit – was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, a greater diversity of both vegetables and fruit was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

So how do you get more servings of vegetables and a greater variety of veggies and fruits into your diet? Here are some ideas.

• Set a goal of eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day – a serving is only half a cup.
• Eat around the rainbow – consume as many different colors of fruits and vegetables as you can every day.
• Enjoy a piece of fruit or a fruit salad with breakfast.
• Have fruit instead of candy or cookies between meals — your waistline with thank you, as well!
• Cut veggies into crudités and place in Ziploc bags to grab when you are hungry between meals. Use bean dip or low-fat ranch dressing for dip.
• Start lunch or dinner with a salad or vegetable soup – you’ll eat less during the rest of the meal.
• Plant a vegetable garden – nothing tastes better than homegrown veggies!
• Try combining different vegetables and fruits in your juicer or buy the commercial juices – but watch out for additives such as salt and sugar!

Related articles

• Blueberries and Apples Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk (nlm.nih.gov)
• Poor Sleep Linked to Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes (drjeffreydonohue.com)