Regular consumption of blueberries and apples is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a new US study.
The fruits are rich in flavonoids. Other studies show that the ingredient helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and prevents the development of heart disease and cancer.
The results show a link, but do not prove that fruit is a major cause of diabetes prevention, said Anne Penn, a research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health.
Scientists are tracking the eating habits of approximately 200,000 healthy men and women. Participants regularly fill out questionnaires about their diet. Other risk factors, such as body weight, smoking and family history of diabetes, are also considered.
Over a period of 24 years, about 12,600 of the participants were diagnosed with diabetes.
The researchers found that consuming blueberries, two or more times a week, had a 23% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who did not consume the fruit.
The risk of the disease is just as low in people whose diet includes 5 or more apples a week.
According to researchers, certain flavonoids contained in these fruits have a beneficial effect on the risk of diabetes.
The results are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .