By Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus in collaboration with the Create Cures Foundation
In general, people at risk of diabetes are advised not to eat fruits due to their sugar content that can raise blood sugar levels. A study conducted at the Illinois Institute of Technology (USA) and published in Obesity (February 2019), found that red raspberries can promote the reversal of the development of the disease, and can then be safely consumed even by people at risk of diabetes. The mechanisms behind this seem to be facilitated by anthocyanins (compounds that give the red color of raspberries), and by other substances like ellagitannins and fibers.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING PROTECTIVE FOODS
The study was led by Burton-Freeman, an American researcher from the Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, of the Illinois Institute of Technology was carried out in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The research was based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which found that in 2015, 34% of American adults (84.1 million people) suffered from pre-diabetes.
The survey focuses its attention on this category of patients as they are among those at high risk for a number of conditions, including the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Indicating an ad hoc diet to pre-diabetic individuals, to know which foods to avoid, but also which foods have a beneficial effect on prevention and treatment can be an important aid in slowing down or even reversing the course of disease.
TWO CUPS OF RASPBERRIES DAILY IS THE OPTIMAL PORTION
This was found by a randomized study, conducted on a sample of individuals at risk of diabetes, obese, or overweight, with signs of pre-diabetes and insulin resistance. The data were then cross-referenced with a control group made up of metabolically healthy individuals. The included 32 American adults, between 20 and 60 years of age. The participants underwent blood tests within the first 24 hours after breakfast on three separate days. The three breakfasts were similar in terms of macronutrient content and caloric intake, but they each had a different amount of frozen red raspberries. On the first day of the survey, breakfast did not include the intake of raspberries; on the second day, a cup; on the third and last day, breakfast included two cups of red raspberries.
The results of the study indicated that there is a positive correlation between the amount of consumed raspberries and the amount of insulin required to modulate blood glucose levels. In fact, when two cups of red raspberries were consumed for breakfast, the blood glucose concentration was much lower than when raspberries were not consumed. In conclusion, the experts indicate that the intake of [2 cups] raspberries per day can improve the insulin response and serve as a prevention strategy for those who suffer from prediabetes.
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