Variety of fruits, veggies may lower diabetes risk
A study published in Diabetes Care shows that eating a greater quantity of vegetables and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The researchers investigated the 11-year incidence of type 2 diabetes in correlation with fruit and veggie intake in 3,704 participants (653 diabetes cases) nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Norfolk study. The variety of fruits and vegetables consumed was derived from the total number of different items consumed, recorded in a seven-day prospective food diary.
The researchers found that consumption of a greater quantity of fruits and vegetables correlated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. In adjusted analyses, the quantity of vegetable intake, but not fruit intake, was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes. Greater variety in fruit, vegetable, and combined fruit and veggie intake correlated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, when comparing extreme tertiles.
The researchers concluded that: “A diet characterized by a greater quantity of vegetables and a greater variety of both fruit and vegetable intake is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.”
