Eating almonds as part of a daily diet can help improve glycemic control and cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients, a new study conducted by the Almond Board of California has revealed.
The study found that consuming almonds caused a significant decrease in a number of critical risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes, including waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar regulation) and C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation in the body).
In India, incidence of type 2 diabetes currently reaching epidemic proportions. Type 2 diabetes is now prevalent across all social groups.
Dietary and lifestyle interventions are an important part of diabetes treatment. Dr Anoop Misra and Dr Seema Gulati, PhD, recruited adults in Delhi, aged 25 to 70 years, all of whom had type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels, to participate in the study.
Dr Misra said, “Almonds are a traditional snack for Indians. However, for the first time we have been able to prove its scientific all-round benefits in patients with diabetes. We now have confidence in prescribing it to all patients as mid-meal healthy snacks.”
“This is the first study to demonstrate the health benefits of including almonds in one’s diet among Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes,” said Dr Gulati, the lead researcher of the study.
The study was published in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.
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