Eating just two servings of nuts a day may combat type 2 diabetes

July 31, 2014  17:22

Eating nuts may help to combat type 2 diabetes, new research suggest.

Two servings of tree nuts a day appears to lower and stabilise blood sugar levels in people with the disease, according to evidence collected from 12 clinical trials.

Tree nuts cover most types including walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans, but exclude peanuts. 

A single serving was defined as 30 grams, Daily Mail says.

Nut consumption improved two key markers of blood sugar, the results from analysing data on 450 trial participants showed.

One, the HbA1c test, measures blood sugar levels over three months. The other, the fasting glucose test, assesses blood sugar after the patient has not eaten for eight hours.

The best results were seen when nuts replaced refined carbohydrates rather than saturated fats.

A single serving of tree nuts was defined as about a quarter of a cup, or 30 grams. Participants in the clinical trials were given 56 grams of nuts a day on average.

While nuts are high in fat, it is of the healthier unsaturated variety.

Although nuts can be high in calories, trial participants did not gain weight.

 

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