Abstract
AimAssess the relationship between date palm fruit consumption and diabetic control among Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Subjects and methodsSaudi patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 404, aged 55.3 ± 9.7 years) were included in this study. Height, weight and blood pressure were initially measured. Blood glucose levels (fasting and random), glycated hemoglobin HbA1c, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides were retrieved from the patient’s medical records. The amount and frequency of habitual consumption of date fruits were obtained from patients using a validated dietary questionnaire.ResultsThe results revealed that high consumption of date fruits was statistically significantly correlated with lower HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (p < 0.01).ConclusionThis cross-sectional study found an association between high date fruit consumption by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels. Further studies are required to verify this interesting finding
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a life-long health condition and is considered an epidemic disease that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (Jaacks et al 2016)
It is well known that the predominant constituent of dates is carbohydrates in the form of glucose, fructose and non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) (AlFarsi et al 2007; Zhang et al 2015)
Height and weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), random blood glucose (RBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) values were retrieved from patient electronic medical records, which were available at the time of the interview
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a life-long health condition and is considered an epidemic disease that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (Jaacks et al 2016). Dates are a good source of phenolic contents, such as phenolic acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols and phytosterols (Al-Farsi et al 2005; Bouhlali et al 2017; Septembre-Malaterre et al 2018; Vayalil 2014). It is commonly believed among the public and health care providers that patients with diabetes should limit or even avoid consumption of date fruits. This belief is not based on scientific evidence; it is probably based on
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