EATING fresh fruit every day can cut your risk of developing diabetes, say researchers.
Their work should allay fears that eating too much fruit is unhealthy because of its high sugar content.
The study, led by Oxford University, found it does not raise blood sugar, probably because glucose and fructose in fruit are metabolised differently to the refined sugars in cake and processed foods.
Eating fruit every day could cut diabetes risk because it also contains healthy fibre and vitamins.
But it may be best to opt for apples, oranges, pears and berries because they raise blood sugar more gradually than bananas, grapes and tropical fruits.
The study, which monitored nearly 500 000 people in China, found those who were diabetes-free at the start of the seven-year experiment had a 12% lower risk of developing it if they ate fruit every day.
They were compared to individuals who never or rarely consumed fresh fruit.
"These findings suggest that a higher intake of fresh fruit is potentially beneficial for primary and secondary prevention of diabetes," said the authors, led by Dr Huaidong Du at Oxford.
Responding to the findings, Dr Emily Burns of Diabetes UK, said: "Fresh fruit has many health benefits and it’s a myth that people with diabetes shouldn’t eat it. The type of sugar in whole fruit is different to the added sugar we should avoid. We know eating a healthy balanced diet, including more fruits and vegetables, is beneficial for overall health and preventing Type 2 diabetes."
Type 2 diabetes is linked to diet and lifestyle, unlike type 1, when the body’s immune system attacks the cells which produce insulin.
Earlier research suggested fruit may raise the risk of diabetes, but the authors of the latest study say these included fruit juice.
The concerns over fruit juice, in which sugars are released more rapidly into the bloodstream, have led the Food Standards Agency to advise drinking only a maximum of 150ml a day.
A report on the study in the journal PLOS Medicinesays there is a "widespread misunderstanding" about the importance of eating fruit for diabetes patients.