Effects of Whole Fruit on Glycemic Control, Liver Fat, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
Summary
This study will determine the effects of consuming whole fruit on blood sugar control, liver fat, and cardiovascular health in adults with type 2 diabetes who are not treated with insulin.
Description
Diabetes is one of the top three drivers of healthcare costs in the U.S., and nearly half of Americans will develop either diabetes or prediabetes in their lifetime. It is therefore critical to find new strategies to treat or reverse diabetes. One such approach is adopting a healthy diet, which can dramatically improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes and even induce diabetes remission in some patients. Despite this, not much is known about which food groups are most effective at improving blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. Although individuals with type 2 diabete…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged ≥18 years * Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes * HbA1c between 6.5-12.0% * Fasting C-peptide level ≥0.5 ng/ml, indicating the patient does not have beta-cell failure, as measured at screening Exclusion Criteria: * On insulin * Evidence of latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA) or maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) * Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \<45 ml/min per 1.73 m² * Heart attack in the past 6 months or severe/unstable heart failure * On weight loss medication, including GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, dulaglutide) * Change in the dos…
Interventions
- OtherWhole Fruit
Participants will consume a large amount of whole fruit for 17 weeks. During the first 6.5 weeks, participants will gradually increase the amount of whole fruit they eat by 5% every 5 days. Once they reach 50% of their calories as whole fruit, they will continue to eat 50% fruit for the remaining 10.5 weeks of the study. This is a controlled feeding study, so participants will consume fruit prepared in a metabolic kitchen. The fruit will consist of fresh fruit, dried fruit, and frozen fruit blended into smoothies. To demonstrate compliance, participants will video-record themselves eating the provided fruit. All participants will receive the same dietary intervention. Participants will otherwise continue their usual diet and lifestyle habits.
Location
- Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public HealthBoston, Massachusetts