Background: Raisins are a nutritious fruit snack containing fiber, antioxidants, and potassium. Diabetics tend to have low fruit intakes, possibly due to concerns about glycemic response. Aim: This study sought to characterize the utility of raisins as a way to improve fruit consumption by type 2 diabetics. Methods: Fasting type 2 diabetics randomly received 100 Calorie servings of bananas (BA; 103.1 g), white bread (WB; 40.2 g), raisins (RA; 30.3 g), or Thompson seedless grapes (TG; 112.4 g) on each of four separate lab visits in single cross-over fashion. Blood glucose (n = 15) and plasma insulin (n = 7) were measured before and 30, 60, 120 minutes after snack consumption. Results: Relative to baseline, blood glucose peaked significantly at 30 minutes for TG, RA and WB at 204.6 ± 16.2, 180.5 ± 12.7, and 176.2 ± 12.2 mg/dL, respectively, the 30 minute value for BA (173.2 ± 11.6 mg/dL) approached significance (p = 0.12). At 30 minutes, the blood glucose values for BA and TG differed significantly, at all other times no significant differences were observed, and all values returned to near baseline 120 minutes after consumption. Postprandial plasma insulin increased for all treatments, though not significantly. Conclusion: The extended shelf life and portability of raisins may make them an attractive choice for improving fruit consumption in type 2 diabetics.
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