The Snack That Could Control Diabetes

Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.

A common source of health breakthroughs is the field of type 2 diabetes treatment. We know a lot about this ultra-common health condition, what causes it and how to control it. A new study focused on healing foods that could keep a diabetic in line and prevent any further damage. It found that eating nuts every day could help control type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications.

Using nuts as a food cure is nothing new. Jammed with nutrients, they can be a boon to health as long as they are eaten in moderation and unsalted. In the latest health news, researchers report that eating two ounces of nuts daily in place of carbohydrates proved effective at controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetics.

Since these nuts — mixed, unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted — have such benefits, the researchers say they may be used as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain.

In the study, they provided three different diet supplements to people with type 2 diabetes. One group received muffins; one a mix of nuts including raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias; and one a mix of muffins and nuts.

Subjects receiving the nut-only supplement reported the greatest improvement in blood glucose control. That same group also experienced a reduction in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Those on the muffin-nut mix had significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels. Those in the muffin-only group had no positive benefits.

The results are important, as the nuts achieved about two-thirds the result that an approved drug would hope to achieve. This is a healing food acting in the same way as an expensive pharmaceutical.

What this means is that nuts can provide a specific food option for people with Type 2 diabetes who wish to reduce their carbohydrate intake, and aim to shed a few pounds.