Bahrain: Supplementation of 60 g daily date fruit or raisins in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients did not improve glycemic indices, and neither had a detrimental effect on blood sugar control over 12 weeks, says a study published in Nutrients. This suggests that the consumption of date fruit or raisins is safe when consumed in T2D.
It is reported that date fruit benefits type 2 diabetes due to its antioxidant properties and nutritional value. However, given its high sugar content, there is a concern about its effects on glycemic control. Considering this, Alexandra E. Butler, Research Department, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Bahrain, Busaiteen, Bahrain, and colleagues aimed to examine the effect of date fruit on various parameters. The parameters were: HbA1c and its variability, insulin resistance (IR), fasting blood sugar and its variability, beta cell function, insulin sensitivity (IS), and the cardiovascular risk indices of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and fasting lipids in T2D patients in comparison to raisins that have the same glycemic load.

For this purpose, the researchers enrolled 79 T2D patients (39 male and 40 female) in an interventional, prospective, randomized, parallel study. The participants were randomly given 60 g of date fruit daily or 60 g of raisins of the equivalent glycemic index. They were given midmorning and midafternoon snacks for 12 weeks.
The primary outcome was to examine the effects of date fruit on HbA1c and fasting blood glucose and their variability in T2D patients compared to the same glycemic load of raisins. The secondary outcome was to determine whether date fruit impacts cardiovascular risk by measuring C-reactive protein (CRP), fasting lipids, blood pressure, and insulin resistance as measured by Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA-IR).
In all, 61 (27 female and 34 male) of 79 patients completed the study.
The researchers reported no difference between or within groups for fasting glucose or glucose variability, HbA1c or HbA1c variability, insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), beta cell function (HOMA-B), the disposition index, lipids, diastolic (DBP) or systolic blood pressure (SBP), or C-reactive protein.
"Raisins and date fruit showed did not improve insulin sensitivity, insulin resistance, glycemic control, or beta cell function through it was reassuring that neither 60 g daily of raisins nor date fruit had a deleterious effect on glycemic control for 12 weeks." the researchers wrote.
The authors closed their study by saying that "this indicates their safety in type 2 diabetes; however, no beneficial effects of date fruit were seen on other cardiovascular indices in T2D."
Reference:
Butler, Alexandra E., et al. "Effect of Date Fruit Consumption On the Glycemic Control of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: a Randomized Clinical Trial." Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 17, 2022.