Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications, according to new research from St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. A team of researchers led by Dr. David Jenkins (University of Toronto Department of Nutritional Sciences; St. Michael’s Hospital Risk Factor Modification Centre) reports that consuming two ounces of nuts daily as a replacement for carbohydrates proved effective atglycemic and serum lipid control for people with Type 2 diabetes.
“Those receiving the full dose of nuts reduced their HbA1c [the long-term marker of glycemic control] by two-thirds of what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes as being clinically meaningful for therapeutic agents. Furthermore, neither in the current study nor in previous reports has nut consumption been associated with weight gain. If anything, nuts appear to be well suited as part of weight-reducing diets,” Dr. Jenkins said. “The study indicates that nuts can provide a specific food option for people with Type 2 diabetes wishing to reduce their carbohydrate intake.”
Journal Reference:
D. J. A. Jenkins, C. W. C. Kendall, M. S.
Banach, K. Srichaikul, E. Vidgen, S. Mitchell, T. Parker, S. Nishi, B. Bashyam,
R. de Souza, C. Ireland, R. G. Josse. Nuts
as a Replacement for Carbohydrates in the Diabetic Diet. Diabetes Care, 2011; DOI: 10.2337/dc11-0338
