Gonuts
If you have type 2 diabetes, eating almonds as part of a healthy diet may help improve glycemic and cardiovascular measures and lead to better health, revealed a new study conducted by lead researcher Dr Anoop Misra and Dr Seema Gulati.
Funded by Almond Board of California, the research got published in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.
50 participants from Delhi aged 25 to 70, all of whom had type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels, went through a three-week run-in period where they were asked to substitute 20 per cent of their total caloric intake with whole, raw almonds (unblanched almonds with their brown skin intact).
Almonds were substituted for fat (such as cooking oil and butter) and some carbohydrate in this intervention diet which was followed for six months.
They were asked to walk for 45 minutes at least five days a week to standardise their physical activity.
The results highlighted significant decrease in waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, lDl cholesterol, C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation in the body) and HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar regulation)
Almonds add protein, fiber, good mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium to the diet, and are low on the glycemic index. — Sangeeta Yadav