Your mother was right when she urged you to eat more fruit.  A recent study in the British Medical Journal found that eating more whole fruits, especially blueberries, grapes, and apples was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  

However drinking more fruit juices did not have the same beneficial effect, in fact, it was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Harvard researchers examined data from the Nurses’ Health Study.  People who ate at least two servings a week of certain whole fruits reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent in comparison to those who ate less than one serving per month.  Drinking one or more servings of fruit juice daily was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 21 percent.

A possible explanation why whole fruits are more beneficial than fruit juice is because whole fruit contains fiber which can help slow down absorption of the naturally occurring sugars.  Without fiber, fruit juices pass through the digestive system more quickly and can cause a rapid rise and subsequent fall in blood sugars.

Eating a diet rich in fruits along with vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, beans, low fat dairy and healthy fats is a winning formula for good health and disease prevention.  The bonus: when whole fruit replaces less nutritious foods like cakes and cookies, it can lead to weight loss.  Getting your weight into a healthy range is another strategy that can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.