A recent study from the University of Toronto suggests that swapping out carbohydrates for nuts in the diet may help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
Nuts are nutrient-dense foods that come in various types, such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and pistachios. Past research has shown that adding nuts to a balanced diet may help with weight control and offer protection against chronic diseases.
This study, led by Dr. David J.A. Jenkins and published in Diabetologia, looked specifically at whether replacing carbohydrates with mixed nuts could lower blood sugar and improve heart health in people with type 2 diabetes.
Since nuts are high in healthy unsaturated fats, they may help reduce the risk of heart disease and other complications common in diabetes. The study also examined how nuts affected blood clotting and levels of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol.
A total of 117 older adults with type 2 diabetes participated in the study, all of whom were already taking medication to lower blood sugar. They were divided into three groups and assigned different diets for three months:
- Full-dose nut diet: Participants ate 75 grams of mixed nuts daily.
- Full-dose muffin diet: Participants consumed three whole-wheat muffins each day, which matched the nuts in protein and energy but came from carbohydrates.
- Half-dose nut diet: Participants ate a smaller portion of both nuts and muffins.
After three months, the group following the full-dose nut diet saw notable improvements in their health compared to the muffin group. Their blood sugar levels were lower, and LDL cholesterol was reduced significantly.
These results suggest that a nut-based diet may help keep blood sugar in check and improve heart health by reducing harmful cholesterol levels.
The full-dose nut diet also provided more energy from monounsaturated fats than the muffin diet. Monounsaturated fats are known for their heart health benefits, helping to lower bad cholesterol while maintaining or even raising levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.
Additionally, the full-dose nut diet showed a reduction in non-HDL cholesterol, which includes other harmful cholesterol particles besides LDL.
Though the study mostly went smoothly, one participant in the half-dose nut group was hospitalized for a heart rhythm issue after a physically strenuous activity, but no other major health events occurred.
Interestingly, different types of nuts bring unique benefits to people with type 2 diabetes.
For example, almonds are rich in calcium and other nutrients, pecans are high in dietary fiber, macadamia nuts contain monounsaturated fats that may help with cholesterol balance, and walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are excellent for heart health.
Future research may explore how specific types of nuts can benefit people with diabetes differently.
This study supports the idea that nuts, as a replacement for carbohydrate-heavy foods, may provide valuable health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.
While more studies are needed, including nuts in a balanced diet could be a simple and tasty way to help manage blood sugar and improve heart health.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about high vitamin D level linked to lower dementia risk in diabetes, and this eating habit could help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about unhealthy plant-based diets linked to metabolic syndrome, and results showing Paleo diet plus exercise could boost heart health in people with diabetes.
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