Which Nuts are Good for Diabetics?
It’s not a surprise that nuts are heart-healthy but it’s also possible that they are helpful foods for individuals with diabetes. Research suggests that consuming tree nuts, in combination with other dietary modifications, can enhance blood sugar levels in individuals with non-insulin dependent, or type 2, diabetes and also improve blood cholesterol levels in these people. If you have diabetes, beware of nuts with sugarcoated in any type, such as honey or chocolate, considering that these components are high in easy carbohydrate.
Mixed Nuts and Diabetes
Several research studies have examined the prospective advantages of consuming a mix of different nuts for individuals with diabetes. In one research study, published in “Diabetes Care” in 2011, looks into found that subjects with type 2 diabetes had increased energy after taking in 2 ounces of mixed nuts daily, compared with a control group. These individuals also had modifications that showed their blood sugar was lower during the study and their levels of “bad,” LDL-cholesterol likewise dropped. The scientists concluded that nuts are an excellent replacement for carbohydrate foods that can enhance glycemic control and blood cholesterol.
Almonds
Almonds decrease post-meal blood sugar level surges, according to a research study released in the “Journal of Nutrition” in 2006. Scientists fed 15 healthy topics five meals comparable in carb, fat and protein material; 3 test meals that included almonds, bread, boiled rice and immediate mashed potatoes; and two control meals. Blood samples, taken pre-meal and four hours after each meal, revealed that almonds decreased the increase in blood glucose and insulin levels 4 hours after eating. Additional research, published in “Metabolism” in 2007, revealed that consuming almonds with a high glycemic index food reduced the rise in blood glucose post-meal. There was a dose-dependent relationship. The more almonds taken in, the lower the increase in participants’ blood sugar levels after consuming. Eating 3 oz. of almonds with a white bread meal caused an increase in blood sugar of just 1.6 mmol/L, less than half the rise seen after eating the white bread only meal.
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Walnuts
A research study released in “Diabetes Care” in December 2004 revealed that including 1 oz. of walnuts in the diet of patients with type 2 diabetes significantly improved their cholesterol profile, minimizing risk of heart disease. Fifty-eight males and females of a typical age of 59 were designated among 3 diets, all with 30 percent total calories from fat: a standard low-fat diet; a customized low-fat diet; and a modified low-fat diet that consisted of an ounce of walnuts daily. After 6 months, those on the low-fat walnut diet had a much better HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio than the other groups and 10 percent lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels.
Cashews
Cashews are lower in fat than a lot of other nuts. About 75 percent of the fat in cashews is oleic acid, or heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which is the very same kind of fat discovered in olive oil. When added to a low-fat diet, monounsaturated fat helps reduce high triglyceride, or blood fat, levels. People with type 2 diabetes typically struggle with high triglyceride levels, which in turn, increase risk of heart disease. It is not just the monounsaturated fat in cashews that makes them helpful for people with type 2 diabetes. An animal research study published in the “Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy” in 2005 revealed that when dried cashew nut extract was offered orally to healthy rats and those with caused diabetes, both groups had considerably lower blood sugar levels 3 hours after extract administration. Thus, cashew nuts may provide anti-hyperglycemic benefits.
