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Diabetes and Almonds: What You Need to Know
With both pre-diabetes and diabetes, there’s an acute need of bringing in good lifestyle changes and dietary modifications which will help manage elevated blood sugar levels and control other flare-ups. Having said that, there are certain types of foods which must be had on a regular basis, such as nuts and seeds.
While it’s important to include some nuts and seeds (in moderate quantities), newer studies have particularly proven how beneficial almonds could be in curbing risk factors associated with pre-diabetes amongst younger people. How exactly helpful are they really? Lets’ find out.
Diabetes diet: Almonds for diabetes
Almonds are rich in many essential nutrients. Almonds have shown properties which can help in controlling blood sugar levels. Many studies and experts also suggest that almonds can bring down blood sugar levels naturally.
Health benefits of having almonds
Almonds are one of the healthiest forms of nuts that we have and offer plentiful benefits. It has been long believed that snacking on almonds regularly can also help manage vital health and improve blood sugar levels, cholesterol, bone health and promote weight loss as well.
A handful of almonds (roughly 28 grams) contains:
Calories: 161
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Carbs: 2.5 grams
Fat: 14 grams
37% recommended Vitamin E
32% recommended Magnesium
“Research has shown that almonds may reduce the rise in glucose (blood sugar) and insulin levels after meals,” said O’Shea-Kochenbach.
In a 2011 study, researchers found that the consumption of 2 ounces of almonds was associated with lower levels of fasting insulin and fasting glucose. This amount consists of about 45 almonds.
The key in this study is that the participants reduced their caloric intake by enough to accommodate the addition of the almonds so that no extra calories were consumed.
A 2010 study found that eating almonds may help increase insulin sensitivity in people with prediabetes.
What other things should you know?
While almonds are a good snacking source for diabetics (and pre-diabetics), there are certain things to remember while having them:
-Unsalted and raw almonds are the best.
-Overnight or soaked almonds can also be had.
-Stick to the daily recommended requirement for better health. Focus on having 8-10 (or a handful) or almonds a day.
-Also avoid almonds that have added sugar or honey coating on them.
To incorporate more almonds into your diet, you can try adding them to your bowl of oats, muesli, top them off in a bowl of yoghurt and fresh fruits, choose almond milk, sprinkle on top of salads or cooked greens, or use almond flour in your everyday chapatis.
Apart from almonds, some other healthy nuts for a diabetic or a prediabetic patient include peanuts, pistachios, walnuts.
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