A new study from the Illinois Institute of Technology has shown that red raspberries may help control blood sugar levels in people with pre-diabetes.
It suggests the benefit of adding the fruit in daily diet in preventing type 2 diabetes.
It is estimated that 34% of American adults had pre-diabetes in 2015.
Previously, scientists have found that this condition usually means higher risks of a number of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the present study, the researchers examined the effects of red raspberries on pre-diabetes.
They tested a group of 32 people with high risk for diabetes.
All of the participants were overweight or obese and had pre-diabetes and insulin resistance.
The 32 adults were between the ages of 20-60 years. Their blood was tested over a 24-hour period after eating breakfast on three separate days.
The three breakfast meals were the same in calories and macronutrients, but had a different amount of frozen red raspberries.
The team also examined a metabolically healthy control group.
They found when the amount of raspberry increased in the breakfast, people at risk for diabetes needed less insulin to control their blood sugar levels.
People who ate two cups of raspberries had lower blood sugar levels than people who ate no raspberries in their breakfast.
The team suggests that raspberries not only could provide essential micronutrients, but also offer components such as anthocyanins.
The components give them their red color, ellagitannins, and fibers that help fight diabetes.
The results suggest that adding raspberries could help control blood sugar and improve insulin responses.
This could benefit people who are overweight or obese and have pre-diabetes.
This study confirms that foods can have protective benefits.
Adding them into your daily diet can be an effective way to prevent or slow progression to disease.
One study author is Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., director, Center for Nutrition Research at Illinois Tech.
The research is published in obesity.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
Further reading: Obesity.
