As a nutritionist with a sweet tooth, fruit is one of my favorite foods. But after a recent blood panel showed my A1C, a marker of average blood sugar, was a little high, I started wondering whether my fruit habit might be behind the increase.
To find out, I asked six registered dietitians how much fruit you can eat while still supporting healthy blood sugar. Their answer was consistent: about 2 cups a day.
Why Dietitians Suggest 2 Cups of Fruit Daily
According to the experts, 2 cups of fruit per day is a solid goal for getting plenty of water, fiber, vitamins, and minerals while also helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
That amount may still seem high, considering fruit contains sugar, but its other nutrients help blunt the effect on blood sugar.
Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCES, owner of Sheri the Plant Strong Dietitian, said the fiber, water, and antioxidants in fruit help slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream.
In fact, Kara Craddock, MS, RDN, owner of The Blood Sugar Dietitian, told HEALTH that people who eat more whole fruit actually tend to have a slightly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, not a higher one.
One analysis from 2013, which included more than 187,000 people, found that higher whole fruit intake was linked with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A 2023 study also reported that fruit consumption was associated with lower fasting blood sugar in people already living with diabetes.
Gabrielle Kishner, MS, RD, owner of Nutrition By Gabrielle, also noted that the American Heart Association recommends 2 cups of fruit a day, underscoring fruit’s place in a healthy diet even for people keeping an eye on their blood sugar.
If anything, the experts said many Americans could eat more fruit, since about 85% of adults in the U.S. fall short of the recommended amount.
How to Make Fruit Easier on Blood Sugar
I plan to take a closer look at my own habits to see whether something else may be contributing to the higher A1C. But the dietitians made one thing clear: I do not need to give up fruit.
Read the original article on Health
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