Diabetes: The best fruit for managing blood sugar levels – ‘great choice’ says expect

Type 2 diabetes: Doctor explains impacts of the condition

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Since controlling diabetes is about controlling your blood sugar, eating fruit may not sound like a good idea. But some fruits contain limited amounts of sugar while offering all sorts of health properties. Berries are a group of fruits with these properties. And there’s a specific berry that might be better than the rest.

“Raspberries have one of the highest fiber contents of all berries, making them a great choice for blood sugar management and weight control,” Erin Palinski-Wade, CDE, author of the 2 Day Diabetes Diet, told Everydayhealth.

An 80-gram serving of raspberries contains roughly seven grams of fibre. This is more than other fruits, such as an apple which contains two and a half grams of fibre.

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that “because the body is unable to absorb and break down fiber, it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way other carbohydrates can. This can help keep your blood sugar in your target range”.

It is great for weight management because it is processed gradually by the stomach, meaning it leaves you feeling fuller for longer.

Raspberries have also been shown to help with insulin resistance – a major problem for people with prediabetes, which can lead to full-blown diabetes.

Insulin resistance is when your body doesn’t respond well to insulin – a hormone that moves sugar out of your blood into your cells.

Your body has to produce more insulin to move glucose into your cells. If your pancreas can’t produce enough insulin, over time your blood glucose levels go up.

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology analysed what happened when 32 adults ate raspberries as part of their breakfast.

Participants were given three different breakfasts. One containing one cup of frozen raspberries, another with none, and a third with three cups of raspberries.

They found that the more raspberries that people consumed, less insulin was needed to produce in their bodies to manage their blood glucose.

Fibre may also help protect people with diabetes from life-threatening diseases that diabetes sufferers are more prone to.

Eating more fibre can help you reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease.

Heart disease is when the blood supply to your heart is blocked, often by the build-up of cholesterol. But fibre has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Research shows that soluble fibre – which is found in raspberries – can trap cholesterol, which is then removed from thebody in your poo.

Soluble fibre can also be found in oat, barley, nuts, beans, pulses, soya, and lentils, states Diabetes UK.

The NHS also recommends foods high in starchy carbohydrates, with a low glycaemic index.

These foods include:

• Cereals
• Pasta
• Rice
• Bread.

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