Diabetes prevention diet: Snacking on THIS unlikely fruit could STOP symptoms developing

Diabetes affects 3.5 million people in the UK, and is set to rise to five million by 2025, according to Diabetes UK.

While type 1 is often present from a very young age, type 2 is usually caused in later life by being overweight and a lack of exercise.

However, consuming certain foods can help reduce your risk of symptoms.

These include red berries – such as raspberries and strawberries – according to one expert.

“Berry consumption has been linked to improved aspects of health,” said Dr Emma Derbyshire.

“They contain polyphenols, mainly as anthocyanins, along with a host of micronutrients and fibre.

“It is this powerful combination that has been linked to reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.”

Health benefits are one of the reasons cited by British Summer Fruits, the industry body that represents 98 per cent of berries sold in the UK, for the trebling of berry sales over the past decade.

This compares to sales of citrus fruits which have only increased by a third.

Dr Derbyshire added that red berries also made for a great snack.

“Recent Imperial College London research highlighted that we may need to strive for 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day to lower chronic disease risk,” she said.

“Snacking on punnets of berries this winter – be it during breakfast, after a workout or when on a lunch break – is a great and easy way to boost our fruit intake for adults and kids alike.”

While traditionally a summer fruit, Dr Derbyshire noted that a greater number of varieties of red berries were now available meaning they could be consumed in December and January as an abundant source of vitamins and minerals.

Nick Marston, chairman of British Summer Fruits, said: “These figures reflect a robust, expanding soft fruit category, that is able to meet growing consumer demand and I am sure that the figures will grow further this Christmas.

“More and more people are understanding the fantastic health benefits of snacking on a punnet of berries, and fortunately we have been able to match this growing demand with innovation in the industry, to ensure consumers can look forward to good quality red berries all year round.”

Another fruit that could help ward off diabetes symptoms is the baobab fruit, and snacking on almonds has also been found to help balance blood sugar levels.