This study, one of the largest to date on nuts and diabetes, has been published recently in the journal Diabetologia.
The research team investigated the effect of replacing carbohydrate consumption with mixed nut intake on cardiovascular risk factors and HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) in type 2 diabetes. A total of 117 men and postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes were randomised to one of the three following diets for 3 months: (1) 'full-dose nut diet' (75 g/day); (2) 'full-dose whole-wheat muffin diet' (188 g/day); or (3) 'half-dose nut diet' (38 g/day).
Results showed that the full-dose nut group had a significant reduction in HbA1c (a test to determine long-term high blood glucose levels) and LDL “bad” cholesterol compared to the other two groups. So the study concluded that nut consumption as a replacement for carbohydrate intake may help improve glycaemic control and lipid risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
This study was funded by the INC NREF.
Jenkins, D. J., Kendall, C. W., Lamarche, B., Banach, M. S., Srichaikul, K., Vidgen, E., … & de Souza, R. J. (2018). Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet: a reanalysis of a randomised controlled trial. Diabetologia, 1-14.