Puree protection

This might be the only time something good ever came out of eating white bread. But it's not the only time research has revealed the benefit of berries--especially when it comes to high blood sugar. So let's just say the results bear repeating. Researchers recently recruited a small group of healthy women for three different two-hour meal studies. In each study, subjects ate a serving of bread (equal to 50 grams of available starch) along with 150 grams (about 5 ounces) of pureed berries. In the first study, subjects received strawberries, bilberries, or lingonberries. In the second, subjects received raspberries, cloudberries, or chokeberries. In the final study, the subjects received a mixture of equal parts strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, and blackcurrants. Results showed that both strawberries and the berry mixture significantly improved the glycemic impact of white bread--reducing insulin response by 36 percent and 38 percent respectively. These results appeared in the Journal of Nutrition. And they couldn't have come at a better time. Late spring is strawberry season in a lot of parts of the country. So make sure you take a trip to your local Farmer's Market sometime soon. It'll be good for your blood sugar and your taste buds. Until next time, Dr. Fred