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The Right Nuts for Your Diabetes

Creator: Dr. Krishanga
Keywords: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, blood sugar, diabetes

by Dr. Krishanga on January 21, 2023 at 3:37 PM

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Highlights:

Nuts in snacks inhibit hunger, causing a diabetic to consume fewer carbohydrates
Almond and walnut consumption is notably beneficial for glucose management in pre-diabetes
Peanuts and pistachios have a low glycemic index

Did you know that a handful of nuts can provide your body with much-needed, critical nutrients? However, if you have diabetes, binging on all types of nuts is not a good idea! If you too have been a bit perplexed about what to eat if you are a diabetic, then this could be your guide to the right nuts.

Nuts are abundant in nutrients due to their high concentration of vitamins, minerals, fiber, calcium, and unsaturated fatty acids. Nut's unsaturated fats provide several critical purposes, including cell growth support and organ protection.

‘Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, and peanuts can help control diabetes or high blood sugar. Nuts, which are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, can be beneficial to diabetics when consumed in moderation’

According to Sumaiya A, a clinical dietitian at Fortis Hospital in Kalyan, one such helpful food item for diabetics is nuts, which offer numerous nutritional benefits.

The Healthiest Nuts for Diabetes

Nuts can help you control your blood sugar levels as they are low-glycemic foods, which is a classification of carbohydrates based on how they affect blood sugar levels. Because they include a small number of dietary carbohydrates, they have little effect on your blood glucose levels.

Almonds: The Ultimate Vitamin E Source

Almonds aid diabetics in controlling their blood glucose levels. They reduce oxidative stress, which is a key cause of diabetes and heart disease. Almonds include a lot of fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, and vitamin B12. They show favorable effects on obesity, glycemic management, and the lipid profile, potentially lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (1^✔).

Walnut, Walnut Oil and its Impact on Insulin

Consuming walnuts fills you up and decreases your desire for other foods. It was also shown that regularly consuming walnuts aids in weight loss and lowers a person's fasting insulin level. Studies have shown that consumption of walnut oil (15 g per day for three months) improved blood glucose levels, but no changes were noted in body weight or blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients (2^✔).

Peanuts and Peanut Butter for Blood Sugar

Peanuts are high in protein and fiber, making them suitable for people with type 2 diabetes. Peanuts help diabetics maintain their blood sugar levels and prevent the development of diabetes in the first place. Increased nut and peanut butter consumption may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. To avoid increasing caloric intake, regular nut consumption can be recommended as a replacement for the consumption of refined grain products or red or processed meats (3^✔).

Pistachios can Help with Glycemic, Cholesterol, and Lipoprotein Control

Pistachios have a low glycemic index, and consuming them helps people with type 2 diabetes improve their glycemic status. A Mediterranean diet high in pistachios reduces glucose levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels. Dietary consumption of pistachio nuts as a snack has beneficial effects on glycemic control, blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation markers in diabetic patients (4^✔).

Cashew Nuts for Blood Sugar and Heart Health

Regularly eating cashews lowers blood pressure and lessens the risk of heart disease. And, while cashews have more fat, the majority of it is healthy fat, which is advantageous to diabetics. Daily consumption of cashews reduced serum insulin and the low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio in patients with diabetes (5^✔).

Fun Ways to Incorporate Nuts in your Diet

Here are some nutty ways to incorporate those nuts into your diabetic-friendly diet.

Combine nuts with steamed vegetables and stir up your stir fry with some tossed nuts.
Increase the crunch in your mornings by adding slivered raw almonds to any of your favorite cereals for not only extra taste but also improved texture.
Dress your proteins by coating them in a liquid base first (such as lemon juice or olive oil and melted butter) and then coating them in chopped nuts and spices.
Top Up Your Salads. Any salad will benefit from the addition of chopped walnuts or almonds for taste and texture.
Handcrafted sugar-free gelato and other desserts with nuts and berries can help avoid heart disease, cancer, and obesity.

While nuts are good for health, other health disorders should be considered, and persons with difficulties such as heart disease, high cholesterol, or hypertension should visit their doctors. "All nuts should be consumed in moderation to control blood sugar levels and other health issues," Sumiaya noted.

References :

Almond consumption improved glycemic control and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20580779/)
The Effect of Walnut Oil Consumption on Blood Sugar in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 - (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5219895/)
Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12444862/)
Effects of pistachio nut supplementation on blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25396407/)
Effects of Daily Consumption of Cashews on Oxidative Stress and Atherogenic Indices in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Controlled-Feeding Trial - (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6408729/)

Source: Medindia

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