Every year, type 2 diabetes leads to over 200 million deaths worldwide, and unfortunately, these bone-chilling stats are following an upward trend. However, unlike type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 (T2D) is highly preventable.
That said, a new study found that there’s a widespread habit that can put us in harm’s way—drinking fruit juices daily.
A new study shows that even when it’s entirely made of fruit, juice creates a risk of developing diabetes. However, before we jump to any misleading conclusions and make hasty decisions, let’s get into the scientific findings.
Namely, the research included over 187,000 Americans whose fruit intake was studied for almost 25 years. Among these, 6.5% developed T2D, the greatest risk factor of which is obesity.
What’s shocking is that people who drank at least one serving of fruit juice every day raised their risk of T2D by as much as 21%! Inversely, those who ate at least two whole-fruit servings per week (particularly apples, blueberries, and grapes) reduced their risk of T2D by up to 23%.
It’s probably the high concentration of sugars and their fast absorption that influence the negative outcome of drinking fruit juice. In terms of diabetes prevention, it’s assumed that specific fruits are more beneficial due to certain components which haven’t yet been pinpointed.
Furthermore, a 12-year Australian study found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 32% lower in people who consume at least 150 grams of whole fruits on a daily basis.
However, this is all far from the claim that eating whole fruits is enough to prevent type 2 diabetes. The official recommendations focus on regular exercise and maintaining an overall healthy diet.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you should follow a paleo or keto diet, but reduce the consumption of highly processed foods and drinks, especially those loaded with different kinds of sugars. So, when you’re doing your weekly shopping, don’t disregard lists of ingredients.
