THE ROLE OF VEGETABLES AND
FRUITS IN PREDIABETES
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits may reduce fasting blood glucose, enhance insulin sensitivity, and even promote weight loss.1
MOST MALAYSIAN ADULTS DO NOT CONSUME
SUFFICIENT VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Approximately 95/100
*Based on a national survey conducted in 2019
WHAT IS THE HEALTHY AMOUNT OF
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS?
MALAYSIAN FOOD PYRAMID
2020
Guide to your DAILY food intake
Note
- The recommended number of servings is calculated based on 1,500kcal, 1,800kcal and 2,000kcal for adults
- Less active/sedentary adults should choose the minimum number of servings.
The sufficient amount is at least 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits every day 3. But this doesn't mean avoiding other food in the pyramid! Variety is just as important because no single vegetable and fruit can provide all of the nutrients you need to be healthy.
EATING MORE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
CAN HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF PREDIABETES4
HOW?
Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of such dietary fibre, flavonoids and antioxidant compounds, folate, and potassium - vital nutrients for preventing type 2 diabetes.
Why this is important
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is important
Why this is
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Why this is important
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EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF EAT
MORE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Keep eating your favourite vegetables and fruits
Although variety is important to give your body the nutrients it needs, you can take baby steps by choosing your favourite vegetables and fruits. This makes it easier for you to ensure daily intake because you'll actually enjoy it!
Practice adding one type of vegetable to your favourite meal
Practice incorporating vegetables or order vegetable add-ons to your favourite meals, especially if it doesn't usually come with greens. We tend to eat our favourite meals frequently, and when vegetables are in there, the health benefits we reap adds up quickly.
Centre your meal around vegetables and fruits
Make vegetables and fruits the focus of your meal, instead of eating them as a side dish. According to the Malaysian Healthy Plate, this food group should take up half of our plate.
Substitute usual suspects of side dishes with vegetables and fruits
When eating out, we tend to order a dessert item - biscuits, cakes, ice creams, pastry, pies, and so on. Try to substitute dessert with vegetable salads. If this is not your thing, you can opt for fruit salads with minimal dressing or fruit juices without added sugar.
Bring along vegetables and fruits as your on-the-go snacks
If you are often on-the-go, consider taking a vegetable or fruit when you leave home for when hunger calls. When you do this, you're less likely to reach for low nutrient and calorie-dense foods or drinks.
If you have a green thumb, grow your own food!
There's nothing more satisfying than reaping what you sow. Studies show that those who garden are more likely to eat more vegetables and fruits 9. It can also help you fit in the recommended moderate exercise amount to help you further curb prediabetes because of all the movements that happen while gardening.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS GETTING IN
THE WAY TO
HEALTHY EATING
MYTH
Organic is more nutritious.
FACT
The only difference is that organic crops have lower pesticide residues - both organic and traditionally harvested crops offer significant nutrients10.
MYTH
Raw vegetables
are better than cooked.
FACT
The bottom line is to eat more vegetables no matter how they're prepared, but careful not to overcook them because this will decrease their vitamin and mineral content11.
MYTH
The more vibrant coloured it is, the
healthier it is.
FACT
No specific colour is more nutritious than another - different colours of vegetables and fruits have different compositions of vitamins, minerals and healthful phytonutrients12.
Colours and the phytonutrients
they contain12.
MYTH
Eating too many fruits can
cause diabetes.
FACT
Eating fruits should not increase the risk of prediabetes as long as it's not processed or consumed in excessive amounts. Instead, the consumption of high sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats is associated with increased prediabetes risk13.
MYTH
Because fruits are low in calories,
you can have as many as you
like.
FACT
Fruits contain fruit sugars (fructose) and a fair amount of calories. Although some fruits are low in calories, they must be consumed in moderation as overdoing it can lead to weight gain and high blood sugar levels14.
The information contained herein develop in collaboration with UPM.
Panel of Advisors
Department of Dietetics
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Universiti Putra Malaysia
References:
1. Kathy Hoy. 2007. The Role of Fruits and Vegetables in Diabetes. The Scientific Newsletter, April 2007, 2. https://www.aprifel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/global-fl-newsletter-101.pdf.
2. IPH. 2-14. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2014: Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) Vol II Survey Findings. Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
3. NCCFN. 2021. Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2020. National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Health.
4. Wang, P. Y., Fang, J. C., Gao, Z. H., Zhang, C., & Xie, S. Y. 2016. Higher Intake of Fruits, Vegetables or Their Fiber Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 7(1), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.12376.
5. Paula Chinchilla. 2023. Those bothersome blood sugar spikes after meals... Know Diabetes. https://www.knowdiabetes.org.uk/blog/those-bothersome-blood-sugar-spikes-after-meals/y
6. Gary Scheiner. 2019.Strike the Spike: Controlling Blood Sugars After Eating. Taking Control of Your Diabetes, October 15. https://tcoyd.org/2019/10/strike-the-spike-controlling-blood-sugars-after-eating/
7. Ullah Asmat, Khan Abad and Khan Ismail. 2016. Diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress-A concise review. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 24(5): 547-553..
8. Jamie Eske. 2019. How Does Oxidative Stress Affect The Body? Medical News Today, April 3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles
/324863#effects.
9. India J. Ornelas, Katie Osterbauer, Lisa Woo, et al. 2018. Gardening for Health: Patterns of Gardening and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Navajo. J Community Health 43(6): 1053-1060. doi:10.1007/s10900-018-0521-1.
10. Crinnion W.J. 2010. Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer. Altern Med Rev. 15(1): 4-12
11. Palermo et al. 2014. The effect of cooking on the phytochemical content of vegetables. J Sci Food Agric. 94(6): 1057-70.
12. Comert et al. 2019. Relationship between color and antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. Curr Res Food Sci. 2:1-10.
13. Park H.A. 2021. Fruit intake to prevent and control hypertension and diabetes. Korean J Fam Med. 42(1): 9-16.
14. Grembecka M. 2015.Natural sweeteners in a human diet. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 66(3): 195-202.
Approval Code: MY-NOND-00133
