A fruit juice could lower your blood sugar levels within hours for people who suffer diabetes, according to researchers.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar in your blood and can cause serious health problems if not treated.
Rates of type 2 - the most common form of diabetes - are growing in the UK with recent figures suggesting almost one in 10 people in the UK will be affected by 2030.
Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes medicines and changes to your diet and activity levels to help control your blood sugar levels.
Having a healthy diet is an important part of living with type 2 diabetes.
Through diet changes and weight loss, you may be able to reach and hold normal blood sugar levels without medication.
One healthy fruit juice you can add to your diet could lower your blood glucose levels within the space of a few hours, The Express reports.
Research published in the journal Food and Function investigated the effects of strawberry intake on blood glucose levels.
The researchers asked 14 overweight participants to consume a strawberry drink at three separate intervals.
Subjects ingested the beverages two hours before a meal, with a meal and two after a meal.
The results revealed that those who consumed the strawberry beverages two hours before the meal had significantly lower blood glucose levels over a 10-hour period, compared to those who drank the beverage alongside their meal.
The researchers suggested the fruit may work by improving insulin signal, moving glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells where it’s converted into energy.
The authors wrote: “Strawberries, rich in anthocyanin, attenuate meal induced postprandial increases in inflammation and oxidative stress as well as improved post-meal insulin responses.
“This study provides data suggesting that strawberries have a role in glycemic control and attenuating the pro-inflammatory effect of a modern diet.
“There may be particular advantages when strawberries are consumed before the meal."
Further findings Women’s Health Study reaffirmed these anti-diabetic effects, showing that women who never ate strawberries had a 10 percent higher risk of developing diabetes, compared to those who did.
Strawberries provide large amounts of essential nutrients, including a unique set of antioxidants known as anthocyanin.
These antioxidants, which give fruits their pigmentation, have been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
One body of research published in the journal Nutrients in 2019 suggested the molecules reduced inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance, three major risk factors for the condition.
Other measures to lower blood sugar levels include exercise, which stabilises blood glucose for periods of up to 48 hours.
Finally, opting for water, tea and coffee, instead of sugary drinks will help avoid unwanted sugar spikes.
