There are many clinical trials involving strawberries and diabetes. What is the relationship between the two? Dr. Cesare Berra, Head of Metabolic Diseases in Humanitas, a guest in the studio at Time & Money on Rai1, spoke about this.
“Strawberries are a concentrate of substances – such as vitamins, antioxidants – and according to some randomized clinical studies they improve the cardiovascular risks of diabetes, improving post-prandial hyperglycemia and intervening positively on some important parameters for cardiovascular risk. Moreover, being part of the Mediterranean diet, they are ideal for patients with diabetes and similar conditions: the Mediterranean diet is in fact the best way to combat cardiovascular problems,” explains Dr Berra.
Symptoms of diabetes
There are various forms of diabetes; the most common is type 2 diabetes (95% of cases approximately), once referred to as elderly diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes most commonly occurs in childhood, and the only therapy currently available for this form is insulin therapy.
Diabetes is often a very asymptomatic disease; symptoms usually appear when blood glucose is very high and are typically polydipsia and polyuria, i.e. a lot of thirst and increased amount of urine emitted. Without blood tests, however, it is not possible to interpret diabetes and recognize it early on. It is therefore advisable to carry out blood tests at least once a year,” says Dr. Berra.
Correct lifestyles from childhood
The causes of type 2 diabetes are numerous, including family history, lifestyles (obesity, sedentariness, hypertension, smoking) and advancing age. Prevention must start from an early age, with proper nutrition and constant physical activity. By disciplining our children well and setting a good example, we can prevent this disease that affects 4 million people in Italy, in addition to about one million people who are diabetic and have not diagnosed it yet.
Once diabetes has been diagnosed, it is still necessary to continue to adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid complications of diabetes. Today, many more drugs are available for patients with type 2 diabetes, a variety that makes it possible to offer a personalized treatment,” concludes Dr. Cesare Berra.
