A new study from the University of Toronto has found something simple but powerful: eating nuts instead of carbs may help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar better.
This is important because keeping blood sugar at healthy levels helps prevent serious problems like heart disease, kidney damage, and vision loss in people with diabetes.
Nuts are small dry fruits that grow in a hard shell and contain an edible seed inside. Common types include almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, and even peanuts—which are technically legumes, but most people treat them as nuts.
Nuts are not just tasty snacks. They are full of nutrients, including healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Past studies already showed that nuts can help people manage their weight and lower the risk of chronic diseases. This new study took it a step further.
Researchers wanted to see what would happen if people with type 2 diabetes ate more nuts instead of carbohydrate-heavy foods like muffins. Carbs break down into sugar, which can raise blood sugar levels. Nuts, on the other hand, are high in healthy fats, especially unsaturated fats.
The study included 117 older adults with type 2 diabetes. All of them were taking medicine to help lower their blood sugar. The researchers divided them into three groups. One group ate 75 grams of mixed nuts each day.
The second group ate whole-wheat muffins that had the same amount of calories and protein as the nuts, but mostly from carbohydrates. The third group ate half the amount of both nuts and muffins. Everyone followed their assigned diet for three months.
At the end of the study, the group that ate a full serving of nuts each day showed the best results. Their blood sugar levels were lower than the group that ate the muffins. Their cholesterol levels also improved.
They had lower levels of LDL cholesterol—often called “bad” cholesterol—and non-HDL cholesterol, which is another harmful type. High levels of these can cause clogged arteries and raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
This means that eating nuts instead of high-carb foods may be a smart and simple way for people with diabetes to improve their health. It helps control blood sugar and may also lower the risk of heart disease—a major concern for people with diabetes.
The study also showed that different nuts offer different benefits. For example, almonds are rich in calcium and many important vitamins. Pecans are high in fiber, which helps with digestion. Macadamia nuts have a lot of healthy fats that support good cholesterol. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fats that are good for the heart.
The researchers say more studies are needed to understand how each type of nut may help in different ways.
But this study, led by David J. A. Jenkins and published in the journal Diabetologia, gives strong support for including nuts in the daily diet of people with diabetes. Small changes in food choices—like swapping a muffin for a handful of nuts—can lead to big improvements in health.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about bananas and diabetes, and honey could help control blood sugar.
For more health information, please see recent studies about Vitamin D that may reduce dangerous complications in diabetes and results showing plant-based protein foods may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
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