Fruits and Vegetables Help

In addition to other complications, type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease -- the leading cause of death in type 2 diabetics. Although the evidence for a beneficial effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on diabetes is not as consistent as it is for heart disease, the results of a small number of studies suggest that higher intakes of fruits and vegetables are associated with improved blood glucose control and lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In a cohort of almost 10,000 adults in the United States, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next 20 years was approximately 20% lower in those who reported consuming at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables compared to those who reported consuming none.

In another prospective cohort study that followed more than 40,000 U.S. women for an average of nine years, fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the entire cohort, but higher intakes of green leafy and yellow vegetables were associated with significant reductions in the risk of type 2 DM in overweight women.

Higher fruit and vegetable intakes were weakly associated with a reduced risk of diabetes in a cohort of more than 20,000 individuals followed for 12 years.

In a cohort of 71,346 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study, total fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with risk for diabetes, although further analysis revealed that intake of fruit or green leafy vegetables was individually associated with a modest reduction in risk of diabetes.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of five cohort studies found that fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with type 2 diabetes. However, in a cross-sectional study of more than 6,000 nondiabetic adults in the UK, those with higher fruit and vegetable intakes had significantly lower levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, a measure of long-term blood glucose control. Possible compounds in fruits and vegetables that may enhance glucose control include fiber and magnesium.