Your favorite South Florida fruits could help prevent pre-diabetes
A recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association could be quite useful for the people of South Florida.
This research looked at the heart benefit of eating a Hass avocado and a cup of mango every day for people who have the diagnosis of pre-diabetes. We grow a lot of these two delicious fruits in Florida leading to abundance and reasonable prices. And one in three Americans is living with pre-diabetes.
During a yearly physical, your blood glucose levels will be measured. A fasting blood glucose between 100-125 mg/deciliter would be considered pre-diabetic. Another indicator of pre-diabetes is a hemoglobin A1c between 5.7-6.4%. Higher numbers than these indicate diabetes.
Study subjects added a medium Hass avocado and a cup of fresh mango to their daily food intake. The control group ate the same number of calories without the added mango and avocado. All subjects had been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. The study lasted eight weeks.
Blood vessel function improved significantly for the subjects in the avocado and mango group. Improved blood vessel function leads to a healthier heart. Diastolic blood pressure decreased in the avocado mango group while those in the control group had an increase in their blood pressure of five points. There were no changes in body weight.
The avocado mango group also had increased intake of fiber, vitamin C, and mono unsaturated fatty acids. All these nutrients support the heart as well as other body functions. People with poorly controlled diabetes often develop kidney problems. The avocado mango group had improvements in certain kidney function markers.
Other steps to prevent pre-diabetes moving into diabetes is through increased activity, improved sleep, stress management and reducing intake of added sugars, ultra processed foods and highly refined carbohydrates.
It’s estimated that 84% of people with pre-diabetes don’t know they have it. So I suggest that everyone add more delicious avocado and mango to their daily intake. Cover your bases.
For tips on how to include these two delicious south Florida fruits in your diet check out mango.org and LoveOneToday.com.
Sheah Rarback MS is a dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami.