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should diabetics eat fruit?

For most people, eating fruit goes along with a healthy diet. But for people with diabetes, it is a different story. Should fruit be kept to a minimum or even avoided altogether because of its sugar content? Or do the fiber and other nutrients it contains minimize its effect on blood sugar? A study in Nutrition Journal found that restricting fruit intake did not seem to benefit diabetics. One group ended up consuming about 135 grams of fruit a day, equivalent to an orange or banana, while another group consumed about 320 grams of fruit daily. After 12 weeks, both groups had lost weight, but those who ate more fruit had the greatest reductions. And there was no significant difference between the two groups when it came to their blood sugar measures. "Considering the many possible beneficial effects of fruit," the authors wrote, "we recommend that fruit intake should not be restricted in Type 2 diabetic subjects." However, more research is needed.

new york times