To help avoid type 2 diabetes, don’t drink your daily portion of fruits—eat them raw and unprocessed, says new research from a collaborative study conducted in the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom and reported in the Guardian.

For the study, collaborating researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed food frequency questionnaires filled out by almost 200,000 health professionals every four years. Scientists found that three helpings each week of certain fruits, such as blueberries, grapes, raisins, apples and pears, seemed to cut the participants’ risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 5 to 26 percent, depending on the fruit eaten. (Blueberries were the most protective.) What’s more, findings showed that those who drank juice as a substitute for eating fruit actually had an elevated risk of developing the disease.

Scientists believe that the lower fiber content of fruit juice compared with its whole fruit counterpart speeds juice through the intestines. This “may explain the positive associations between fruit juice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes,” researchers said. (But other scientists noted that the study failed to measure the big differences between the health benefits of freshly squeezed juices and their bottled and canned counterparts.)

In general, findings showed that all fruits are not created equal. For example, although strawberries and cantaloupe melon may be delicious, they showed no protective benefits against type 2 diabetes risk.

What’s the bottom line? To help reduce the risk of diabetes, eat fruits, don’t drink juice to get the most from these nutritious foods.

If you’re going to drink juices, click here for tips on how to get the most nutrients from these refreshing beverages.