Including almonds in the diet may aid individuals with type 2 diabetes in maintaining cholesterol and blood glucose levels

-Team@CMHF

• Nearly 26 million American adults and children have diabetes today and by the year 2025, this condition is projected to affect 438 million worldwide, or 7.8% of the adult population.
• One of the first lines of defense in disease management is dietary change, which highlights the significance of two recently published studies.
• Both suggest that including almonds in the diet may aid individuals with type 2 diabetes in maintaining cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
• The first, an almond-specific study published in Metabolism, reveals that eating one ounce of almonds immediately before a high-starch test meal showed a 30% decrease of post-meal glucose levels (P= .043) in participants with type 2 diabetes and a 7% decrease in those without diabetes (P= .638).
• After an overnight fast, participants were randomized into groups to receive a test meal with or without almonds.
• The results showed that including almonds with the test meal reduced blood sugar levels after the meal in participants with type 2 diabetes.
• In a subset of the same participants, a small pilot study was conducted to test the effect of regular almond consumption on blood glucose levels.
• The participants with type 2 diabetes were randomized into one of two groups (6-7 subjects per group).
1. One group was instructed to consume 1 ounce of almonds (163 kcal, 0g carbohydrate, 14 g fat) 5 days per week for 12 weeks.
2. The other group (control) was instructed to eat 2 cheese sticks (160 kcal, 0 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat) in place of the almonds for the same time period.
• The study found that daily consumption of a one ounce serving of almonds over a 12-week period was associated with a 4% decrease in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a measure of blood glucose levels over a two to three month period, and a 4% reduction in body mass index (BMI) in those with type-2 diabetes.
• A second recent study published in Diabetes Care found that nuts, such as almonds, helped to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels for men and postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.
• These studies further deepen our understanding of the benefits of almond consumption for those with type 2 diabetes

For further reading log on to

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-further-supports-the-benefits-of-almonds-for-individuals-with-type-2-diabetes-129363093.html