Reus, Spain—INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council announced ina press releasenew evidence suggesting that dried fruit might help lower blood sugar response.
Dried fruits, according to the press release, have a low to moderate glycemic index (GI), and have been shown to improve blood glucose control in clinical trials.
Researchers assessedthe effect of combining dried fruits with white bread, a high GI food. They studied ten participants, each of whom ate 15 study meals consisting of three white bread meals and 12 dried fruit meals. Blood samples were taken from each participant before and after the 15 study meals to assess glycemic response to the meals.
The results, according to the press release, showed that all four dried fruits (dates, apricots, raisins, and sultanas) had a low to medium GI, below that of white bread. When a half portion of the dried fruits were fed with white bread, the blood glucose response was reduced, and all meals had a medium GI. The study concluded that dried fruits may lower the GI of white bread through displacement of high GI carbohydrates.
A long-term, randomized trial with a larger number of participants is needed to confirm whether dried fruit can contribute to sustainable improvements in glucose control.
