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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Aug 25;14(17):3491.
doi: 10.3390/nu14173491.

Effect of Date Fruit Consumption on the Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Alexandra E Butler  1 , Jenan Obaid  2 , Pearl Wasif  1 , Jean V Varghese  1 , Rawan Abdulrahman  1 , Dalal Alromaihi  1   2 , Stephen L Atkin  1 , Naji Alamuddin  1   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of Date Fruit Consumption on the Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Alexandra E Butler et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Objective. Date fruit has been reported to have benefits in type 2 diabetes (T2D), though there is a concern, given the high sugar content, about its effects on glycemic control. Design and Setting. Prospective, interventional, randomized, parallel study. Participants. In total, 79 patients with T2D (39 male and 40 female). Intervention. Participants were randomly allocated to either 60 g date fruit or 60 g raisins daily of the equivalent glycemic index (amount split, given as midmorning and midafternoon snack) for 12 weeks. Main Outcome Measures. The primary outcome was to investigate the effect of date fruit on HbA1c and fasting blood glucose, and their variability, in patients with T2D in comparison to the same glycemic load of raisins. The secondary outcomes were to determine whether date fruit affected cardiovascular risk by measuring fasting lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), blood pressure, and insulin resistance (IR) as measured by Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA-IR). Results. In total, 61 (27 female and 34 male) of 79 patients completed the study. There was no difference between or within groups for HbA1c or HbA1c variability, fasting glucose or glucose variability, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S), beta cell function (HOMA-B), the disposition index, lipids, systolic (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP), or C-reactive protein (CRP) (p > 0.05). Conclusion. No improvement in glycemic indices was seen following supplementation of 60 g daily date fruit or raisins, though neither had a deleterious effect on glycemic control over a 12-week period, indicating their safety when consumed in T2D. Additionally, no beneficial therapeutic effects of date fruit on other cardiovascular indices in T2D were seen.

Keywords: HbA1c; cardiovascular parameters; date fruit; raisins; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the study participants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fasting blood glucose (FBG, laboratory measurement) (A) and HbA1c (B) comparisons between baseline and at the end of the 12-week trial period. FBG and HbA1c levels showed no between or within group changes for either the date fruit or the raisins groups. BL, baseline.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The absolute difference from the median for FPG (A) and HbA1c (B), indicating no difference in variability either between or within groups for either the date fruit or raisins. BL, baseline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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