Diabetes DPG Public Library

Insulin resistance and prediabetes are growing health concerns that can set the stage for developing type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. Insulin is a hormone that is released by the pancreas and helps transfer glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s used for energy. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, this process doesn’t work as well, causing elevated blood glucose level. Prediabetes means your blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough to be identified as diabetes. Many people with pre-diabetes don’t typically experience symptoms, but the condition still increases the risk for serious health problems down the road.

A recent clinical trial has shown that something as simple as eating strawberries daily can make a difference for people with pre-diabetes. In this randomized controlled trial, the participants ate roughly 2.5 servings of strawberries (~32 grams) each day for 12 weeks. The results were impressive: their serum insulin level, insulin resistance, fasting glucose and Hemoglobin A1c, all showed significant improvement, meaning that their bodies became better at using insulin. Not only did their glycemic control improve, but their cholesterol levels and markers of inflammation—like C-reactive protein and interleukin-6—also went down. The body weight also dropped slightly during the study period.

The researchers believe that the natural compounds in strawberries, such as polyphenols and anthocyanins, help reduce inflammation and improve the glucose metabolism in the body. This means that including strawberries as part of a healthy diet could be a simple and tasty way to help manage or even reverse prediabetes. While strawberries alone aren’t a cure, this research highlights how small changes in what we eat can have a big impact on our health, especially for those at risk for diabetes.