Fruit juice tied to modest rise in diabetes risk

Courtesy of Reuters

Women wanting to ward off type 2 diabetes should load their plates with green leafy vegetables and whole fruits, but perhaps stay away from fruit juice. Eating an additional three servings of whole fruit daily, or one more serving of spinach, kale or similar leafy green vegetable was tied to a lower risk of developing diabetes over an 18-year period among 71,346 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study. Researchers found that an increase of three servings a day of whole fruit was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while a single additional serving of leafy green vegetables cut the risk by 9 percent.

However, an additional daily serving of fruit juice increased the likelihood of developing diabetes by 18 percent. While the findings must be replicated, there are plausible mechanisms by which fruit juice could increase risk. "It's a big sugar load and it comes in a liquid form which is absorbed rapidly," researchers noted. The findings, the study team concludes, suggest that "caution should be observed in replacing some beverages with fruit juices in an effort to provide healthier options. SOURCE: Diabetes Care, July 2008.

Steve - yet again, from a preventative public health perspective, these numbers are wonderful!