Roughly one in three American adults has prediabetes, and many will progress to type 2 diabetes within a few years.

A new randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests an unexpectedly simple intervention may help slow that trajectory.

New Research Offers Hope for Prediabetes

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studied 25 adults with prediabetes over 28 weeks.

Participants alternated between two 12-week periods: one consuming 32 grams of freeze-dried strawberries daily—equivalent to about 2.5 servings of fresh fruit—and one without. The crossover design meant each participant served as their own control.

The strawberry period produced measurable improvements across nearly every marker the researchers tracked.

Fasting insulin dropped by an average of 6.9 µIU/mL. Insulin resistance fell by 2.3 points on the standard HOMAIR scale.

Fasting glucose dropped by 8.9 mg/dL, and HbA1c, a three-month average of blood sugar, declined by 0.2 percentage points.

Total cholesterol fell by 7 mg/dL. Body weight, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6, both markers of inflammation, also improved.

The authors note this is “the first 12week randomized controlled crossover study using a dietary feasible dose of strawberry fruit supplementation showing improved glycemic and lipid control” in adults with prediabetes.

Why Strawberries May Support Metabolic Health

Strawberries are rich in anthocyanins and ellagic acid, polyphenols associated with improved insulin sensitivity.

The findings suggest a small, sustainable dietary change may meaningfully shift metabolic health.

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Adapted from: Basu A, Hooyman A, Groven S, et al. “Strawberries Improve Insulin Resistance and Related Cardiometabolic Markers in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial.” J Nutr. 2025;155(6):1828-1838. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.04.015