All About Nuts

I happen to be crazy about nuts. (I was going to say I’m a nut for nuts but I knew you’d probably roll your eyes at that one.) The taste alone makes me stock up on a variety so I always have some handy. But when I started learning about the health benefit of nuts, especially tree nuts, I became an even bigger fan and started recommending to my clients as a great source of healthy fat, fiber, and micronutrients.

” I think everybody's nuts”  – Johnny Depp.

You may have heard that nuts are a heart-healthy food, but it turns out they are also very beneficial for people with diabetes. Research suggests that eating tree nuts daily, along with making other dietary adjustments, can improve blood glucose levels in those with type 2 diabetes. [1] Nuts also have the ability to improve cholesterol profile, and some studies have found that including nuts in the diet may even help prevent hypertension, cancer, and inflammation. [2]

As I mentioned, the most beneficial nuts are tree nuts. Let’s take a look at some of the varieties that are great for diabetics.

Almonds

According to a research study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2006, almonds have the ability to decrease post-meal blood sugar surges. [3] In the study, 15 healthy subjects were fed five meals that were very similar in protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Three of the five meals consisted of almonds, bread, boiled rice and instant mashed potatoes, while the other two were control meals.

Blood was drawn before each meal as well as four hours after. The samples showed that the almonds lowered the spike in blood sugar and insulin levels four hours after eating.

Other research, published in 2007 in the journal, Metabolism, supported the findings that eating almonds reduced the rise in blood sugar post-meal. In fact, the more almonds consumed, the lower the rise in blood sugar levels after the meal. This is excellent news for type 2 diabetics who want to make dietary choices that will help them reduce or eliminate medications.

Walnuts

I will admit that walnuts were not my favorite when I was growing up, but fortunately, my adult palate has become a big fan. Eating just 1 oz. of walnuts can help those with type 2 diabetes improve their overall cholesterol profile, thus reducing their risk of heart disease. [4] After 6 months on a modified low-fat diet that included 1 oz. of walnuts daily, subjects had a better HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio than the other groups, and 10% lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Try chopping up an ounce of walnuts and adding them to salads or veggies.

Pistachios

Coming in as a close second favorite nut to almonds are pistachios. If I let myself, I could eat an entire bag of pistachios by myself while working or relaxing.

These nuts are special because they actually help adults with pre-diabetes. It is estimated that roughly 84 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes [6] and the majority don’t even know it. The problem with that, of course, is pre-diabetes can quickly turn into full-blown type 2 diabetes very easily, which can result in a whole host of complications, not the least of which is heart disease.

Pre-diabetes basically means a person has higher than normal blood glucose levels, but not high enough to warrant insulin. If you’ve been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, it’s important that you adopt a healthier diet and exercise plan, and stick with it, before you fully develop type 2 diabetes.

According to a recent study, pistachios can help you turn your health around.

Conducted in Spain, the study followed 54 adults diagnosed with pre-diabetes. All subjects followed a normal, healthy diet for a period of 4 months, but with half of the participants eating 2 ounces of pistachios per day. At the end of the study, those who ate pistachios showed decreased levels of glucose and insulin, and other typical signs of insulin resistance.

But even more exciting was the fact that the pistachio-eating group also had improved glucagon-like peptide1 function, a hormone that helps control glucose levels. [7]

If you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, adding just a handful of pistachios as part of a healthy diet may help you improve your health and avoid developing diabetes and the complications that go with it.

Other tree nuts to consider adding to your diet are coconuts, pecans, hazelnuts and chestnuts.

A word about peanuts

Peanuts and cashews are both considered nuts by many people.  While they share some important qualities with tree nuts, such as a low glycemic index, low carbohydrates, and relatively high fat, they are actually legumes and do not get the green light that nuts do.

The first problem with peanuts and cashews is that they are much higher in the inflammatory omega 6 polyunsaturated oils compared to tree nuts.  They also contain higher amounts of lectins, which can damage the gut lining.  Peanuts also contain mold toxins, which can lead to further inflammation, and are a leading source of food allergies and sensitivities.

So, when choosing nuts, it’s best to choose tree nuts over nut-like legumes, such as peanuts and cashews.  Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t make one point very clear: Do not go overboard and start eating bags of nuts every day. Though they can be very healthy for you, nuts are still a very energy (calorie) dense food. Eat too many of them and you’ll start to gain weight, which is not healthy for anyone.

Stick to just a handful of tree nuts a day to gain the benefits they offer.

Resources

[1] Effect of tree nuts on glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled dietary trials, PLoS One 2014 Jul 30;9(7):e103376. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103376. eCollection 2014 [NIH]

[2] Health Benefits of Nut Consumption, Nutrients. 2010 Jul; 2(7): 652–682. Published online 2010 Jun 24 [NIH]

[3] Almonds Decrease Postprandial Glycemia, Insulinemia, and Oxidative Damage in Healthy Individuals, J. Nutr. December 2006 vol. 136 no. 12 2987-2992, [JN]

[4] Including Walnuts in a Low-Fat/Modified-Fat Diet Improves HDL Cholesterol-to-Total Cholesterol Ratios in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, doi:10.2337/diacare.27.12.2777Diabetes Care December 2004vol. 27 no. 12 2777-2783 [ADA]

[5] Hypoglycemic Potencies of Crude Ethanolic Extracts of Cashew Roots and Unripe Pawpaw Fruits in Guinea Pigs and Rats, [Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy Volume 5, Issue 1, 2005]

[6] Joslin Diabetes Center

[7] Beneficial effect of pistachio consumption on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammation, and related metabolic risk markers: a randomized clinical trial, Diabetes Care. 2014 Nov;37(11):3098-105. doi: 10.2337/dc14-1431. Epub 2014 Aug 14 [NIH]