{"id":2035,"date":"2020-08-12T16:05:39","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T15:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2026-03-09T13:57:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:57:41","slug":"discover-fruit-and-veg-help-lower-type-2-diabetes-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/discover-fruit-and-veg-help-lower-type-2-diabetes-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Fruit and veg can help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We absolutely love fruit and vegetables here at Slimming World \u2013 they\u2019re the colourful, fresh (or canned, or frozen) heart of the Food Optimising plan. Most fruit and veg are Free Food (which means you can enjoy them freely with no weighing, measuring or counting), so fill your veg basket, and your fruit bowl, to the brim!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people know that eating plenty of fruit and veg is good for you, but there\u2019s one health benefit that might surprise you. Alex Clark, a nutritionist in the Slimming World Nutrition, Health and Research team, tells us more\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diets rich in fruit and vegetables have been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The five-a-day message has been around for years now, and many of us consider fruit and veg to be the cornerstones of a healthy diet \u2013 tasty, versatile and with lots of health benefits to boot. While we\u2019ve been aware of the strong links between a higher intake of fruit and veg and a reduced risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers, the link with type 2 diabetes hasn\u2019t been as clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a major new study has shown that those who had a higher intake of fruit and vegetables had half the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as people who ate lower amounts. So that\u2019s another tick in the box for this fantastic food group!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 340,234 people from eight European countries, including the UK, took part in the EPIC-InterAct study, a collaboration between a number of European universities and institutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of this group, 23,500 people underwent a more detailed assessment of their vitamin C and carotenoid levels, and were followed for an average of almost 10 years. So a very substantial study indeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vitamin C is typically found in fruit and veg such as citrus fruit, peppers, berries and broccoli, while there are a few different carotenoids, including beta-carotene (which give carrots and sweet potatoes their vibrant orange colour) and lycopene (responsible for the redness of tomatoes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examining blood levels of these nutrients gives a good idea of someone\u2019s fruit and veg consumption and is considered much more reliable than the more commonly used method of asking people what they eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding just one extra portion of fruit or veg can benefit your health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the study, those with blood levels of vitamin C and carotenoids in the top 20% (and therefore the highest fruit and veg consumption) were found to have a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with lower blood levels of these nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An additional 66g per day of fruit and veg (a typical portion is around 80g) was shown to reduce risk by 25%. That\u2019s right, adding in just one extra portion a day – maybe snacking on an apple or banana, or adding 3 heaped tablespoons of carrots to your plate or 7 cherry tomatoes to your side-salad – has benefits. This is great news for those following Slimming World\u2019s Food Optimising eating plan \u2013 and, of course, there\u2019s no need to measure these Free Foods!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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5 easy ways to get your extra portion:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n