Blueberries and apples tied to lower diabetes risk

Posted by National Health Index Diabetes News Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Reuters.com: By Aparna Narayanan, NEW YORK | Fri Mar 16, 2012 5:24pm EDT.

Eating more blueberries, apples and pears may be linked to lower risk of diabetes, according to a new U.S. study.

These fruits are loaded with flavonoids, a natural compound present in certain fruits, vegetables and grains, which some research has tentatively tied to heath benefits such as a lower risk of heart disease or cancer.

“People who ate a higher amount of blueberries or apples, they tended to have a low risk of type 2 diabetes,” said An Pan, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health who worked on the study.

The findings show an association, he added, but don’t prove the fruits, themselves, prevent diabetes.

The new work, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, parallels a study published in the same journal last year associating flavonoid-rich fruits with a reduced risk of high blood pressure Read More