Consuming fruit can significantly reduce fasting blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, although it does not significantly alter glycosylated hemoglobin levels.
The study, set against the backdrop of diabetes mellitus as a global health concern, evaluates the impact of fruit consumption on glucose control by synthesizing data from nineteen randomized controlled trials.
A comprehensive literature search spanning several major databases was conducted to select appropriate studies for the meta-analysis. Two researchers independently performed study screening, quality assessment, and data extraction, using RevMan 5.4 software for the statistical analysis.
The collected data involved 888 participants, concluding that fruit intake significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels, though no substantial effect was found on glycosylated hemoglobin. These findings persisted across the subgroup analysis, which encompassed both fresh and dried fruits.
With the primary endpoint met (decreased fasting glucose), the researchers suggest that diabetics could benefit from increased fruit consumption without altering total caloric intake, signifying the importance of fruit in managing diabetes.