People who eat about 66 grams more fruits and vegetables each day — roughly one extra apple or a cup of carrots — have a 25% lower chance of getting type 2 diabetes, according to blood tests that measure plant nutrients.

People with more vitamin C in their blood — which comes from eating fruits and vegetables — are less likely to get type 2 diabetes, even after accounting for other healthy habits.

People with higher levels of carotenoids — natural pigments from fruits and vegetables — are significantly less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, even after accounting for weight and lifestyle.

Blood tests for vitamin C and plant pigments stay accurate even after years in storage, making them trustworthy tools to measure how much fruit and vegetables people eat over time.

People with the highest levels of fruit and vegetable biomarkers in their blood are about half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those with the lowest levels.