A randomized study of raisins versus alternative snacks on glycemic control and other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Just as the type and duration of physical activity can have variable effects on the glucose levels and other cardiometabolic parameters among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so can the types of foods have variable effects as well. This 12-week randomized study of 51 study participants evaluated the impact of routine consumption of dark raisins versus alternative processed snacks on glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type T2DM. In this study, compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins had a significant 23% reduction in postprandial glucose levels (P = 0.024). Also compared to snacks, those who consumed raisins had a 19% reduction in fasting glucose and 0.12% reduction in hemoglobin A1c, although these latter findings did not achieve statistical significance. Regarding blood pressure, compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins had a significant 8.7 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (P = 0.035) (7.5% [P = 0.031]) but did not experience a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure. Compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins did not have a significant improvement in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglyceride, or non-HDL cholesterol levels. Overall, these data support raisins as a healthy alternative compare to processed snacks in patients with T2DM.

Keywords:

• Adiposopathy
• blood pressure
• diabetes mellitus
• dry fruit
• obesity
• raisins

Declaration of interest

This study was funded by the California Marketing Raisin Board. Harold Bays reports that in the past 12 months, his research site has received research grants from Amarin, Amgen, Ardea, Astra Zeneca, California Raisin Marketing Board, Catabasis, Cymabay, Eisai, Elcelyx, Eli Lilly, Esperion, Forest, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Hanmi, Hisun, Hoffman LaRoche, Home Access, Janssen, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, Necktar, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Omthera, Orexigen, Pfizer, Pronova, Regeneron, Sanofi, Takeda, TIMI, Transtech Pharma, and VIVUS. Dr Harold Bays has served as a consultant and/or speaker to Amarin, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Catabasis, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Isis, Merck, Novartis, NovoNordisk, Omthera, Orexigen, Regeneron, Sanofi, Takeda, VIVUS, and WPU. Kathy Weiter RN, BSN, RD, LD is an employee of Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center, which conducted this study. James W Anderson reports that he has served as a member of the Scientific Nutrition Panel for the California Raisin Marketing Board and served as a consultant for the California Raisin Marketing Board. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.