Tree Nuts Can Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease, Death In Diabetes Patients: Study

Diabetes is a condition that results in persistently elevated blood sugar levels, due to the body's inability to process glucose efficiently. Diabetes affects millions of people around the globe and some of its symptoms include frequent thirst, frequent urge to pee, excessive hunger etc. Diabetics are advised to watch everything they eat, to prevent any sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. Type-2 diabetes is a condition, wherein the body becomes insulin resistant or rejects the action of the hormone insulin, which is the chief glucose regulating hormone. Diabetes diet should typically consist of a number of high-fibre foods and nuts are one of them. A new research study has shown that consuming nuts is particularly beneficial for people suffering from Type-2 diabetes.

The study titled, "Nut Consumption in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus", was published in the journal Circulation Research. The study looked at the impact of consuming tree nuts and peanuts on diabetes patients and it was conducted with the participation of 16,217 men and women. Tree nuts include brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios etc. which are all considered quite healthy for consumption for everyone, not just diabetes patients. Nuts are said to be powerhouses of monosaturated fatty acids, fibre, proteins and are low in simple carbohydrates which are usually linked with sudden blood sugar spikes. Nuts have also been known to reduce bad cholesterol and increase concentrations of good cholesterol.

The study corroborated these benefits of the nuts, concluding that eating tree nuts and peanuts was beneficial for Type-2 diabetes patients as it brought down risks of heart diseases and death in these patients. The study concluded by saying, "Findings from 2 large prospective cohort studies suggest that frequent consumption of nuts, especially tree nuts, is associated with a lower risk of CVD incidence and mortality among participants with diabetes mellitus. In addition, increased nut consumption before and after diabetes mellitus diagnosis is also associated with a lower risk of subsequent CVD events and mortality. These data suggest a potential role of nut intake in the prevention of morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes mellitus." (sic)