We’ve all heard the familiar saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but there might actually be scientific evidence to prove it! In a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, a slight uptick in fruit and vegetable consumption can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Scientists selected 9,754 participants from a larger study of 340,000 who were diagnosed with diabetes within the last 10 years. The fruit and vegetable intake of the selected group was compared to another group of 13,000 from the same study who were not diagnosed with diabetes. Both groups were compared by measuring blood levels of seven key plant-derived nutrients, including vitamin C and carotenoids (antioxidant pigments). The group with higher levels of plant-derived nutrients was 25-50% less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the study period. The good news is that it didn’t take a whole lot of extra fruits and vegetables to have an effect on the reduced risk of a diabetes diagnosis! The addition of the equivalent of just over one-third cup of mixed fruit or two-thirds of a medium-sized apple offered protection against type 2 diabetes. So an apple a day just might keep the doctor away!
