Abstract
Aim Assess the relationship between date palm fruit consumption and diabetic control among Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects and methods Saudi 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 HbA(1c), 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. Results The results revealed that high consumption of date fruits was statistically significantly correlated with lower HbA(1c) and fasting blood glucose (p < 0.01). Conclusion This cross-sectional study found an association between high date fruit consumption by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower HbA(1c) and fasting blood glucose levels. Further studies are required to verify this interesting finding