Walnuts Help Type 2 Diabetes
December 7, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) –A new study shows a whole foods diet including walnuts can lower low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol, by 10 percent and improve the relative amounts of “good” cholesterol. Australian researchers say a diet that includes between eight and 10 walnuts a day delivers the right kinds of fats and fatty acids that might also help combat insulin resistance, which is associated with early stage type 2 diabetes.
A team of dieticians developed individualized diets for about 60 people with type 2 diabetes for a six-month study. The diets were based on the core food groups of cereals and breads, fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, low-dairy products, oils, avocados, peanut butter, and nuts. Each diet in the treatment group included 30 grams of walnuts each day, which is the equivalent of between eight and 10 walnuts. Researchers factored in dietary elements from other foods to ensure the cholesterol benefit was correctly attributed to the walnuts.
Researchers say, “This is one of the first studies to look at the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids on diabetes management. Walnuts are an easy and convenient way of getting polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids into the diet. And they’re particularly important for people with diabetes because they’re a simple snack food, which is an integral component of managing the diet in diabetes.”
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, 2004;27:2777-2783