Effect of fruit on glucose control in diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of nineteen randomized controlled trials

ObjectiveDiabetes mellitus is a worldwide health problem, and it remains unclarified whether fruit is beneficial in glycemic control. This study aimed to analyze evidence from randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of fruit consumption on glucose control. MethodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from the respective database inception dates to December 30, 2022, to identify randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of fruit consumption on glucose control. Two researchers independently screened the studies in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and performed the literature quality evaluation and data extraction. RevMan 5.4 software was used to perform the data analysis. ResultsNineteen randomized controlled trials with 888 participants were included. Fruit consumption significantly decreased the fasting blood glucose concentration (MD -8.38, 95% CI -12.34 to -4.43), but it showed no significant difference in the glycosylated hemoglobin (MD -0.17, 95% CI -0.51 to 0.17). Subgroup analyses further suggested that the consumption of both fresh and dried fruit decreased the fasting blood glucose concentration. ConclusionsIncreasing the fruit intake reduced fasting blood glucose concentration. Therefore, we recommend that patients with diabetes eat more fruits while ensuring that their total energy intake remains unchanged.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the effect of fruit consumption on glucose control and found that increasing fruit intake can reduce fasting blood glucose concentration, but has no significant effect on glycosylated hemoglobin. It is recommended for patients with diabetes to increase fruit intake while ensuring that total energy intake remains unchanged.