We all know the old saying: "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" – but is there any evidence that this might be other than wishful thinking?
In a large study, published in the British Medical Journal at the end of August 2013, the dietary intakes of over 200,000 people were examined over a 20-30 year period, to see what influence particular fruit consumption might have had on the development of type 2 diabetes (the form developed in adulthood, and particularly in overweight groups).
After making adjustments to take into account differences in personal, lifestyle and other dietary risk factors for diabetes, the researchers found that certain fruits seemed to help reduce the risks of developing type 2 diabetes better than others. Most fruits are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and phytochemicals with potentially beneficial health effects, but it seems that the nutritional profile of some fruits are particularly positive: greater consumption of blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas, and grapefruit were significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
In contrast, a greater consumption of fruit juice was associated with an increased risk, and substitution of whole fruits for fruit juice was associated with a lower risk (apart from strawberries and cantaloupe melon.
Those interested in reading the more scientific details can find the report here
