Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Almonds, More Than Just a Nutritious Snack for the Diabetic Menu

Research studies into almonds continue to confirm the benefits provided by this popular nut, usually eaten as a snack food but also used as an ingredient in the kitchen in recipes as widely varied as Almond Crusted Chicken, Almond Coconut Flan, or Almond Fudge Brownies

Nuts and the diabetic
But for those of us who are diabetic, what is of most interest is the possibility that almonds, and perhaps other nuts, may help us in our struggle to reduce or better control our blood sugar levels. For instance, how can we not sit up and take notice when we read a summary of a recent scientific controlled study of two groups of diabetics (half of them on diet that included almonds and the other half without almonds) that states:

"Our results suggested that incorporation of almonds into a healthy diet has beneficial effects on adiposity, glycemic control, and the lipid profile, thereby potentially decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus."

That statement says it all, with its implications for weight, blood sugars, cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. How much better can a readily available abundant and inexpensive "natural" food get?

In case you are not sure, "adiposity" is just a fancy way of referring to the condition of being fat, also known as obesity, and obesity is a major factor contributing to the onset of diabetes.

In my old files where I keep references to anything connected with diabetic menu items, I found a news release from 2008 in which the Mayo Clinic listed almonds and walnuts among the top 5 best foods for significantly lowering cholesterol levels. So it seems worthwhile to have a stock of both types of nuts handy -- with perhaps a few other types of nut to add some variety.

Nuts are a source of calcium, good for bones and teeth, magnesium - and that helps regulate blood pressure, antioxidants such as vitamin E, and monounsaturated fats that are thought to lower the LDL, also known as the "bad" cholesterol. They also contain potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and several other minerals.

Be aware of the fat calories
But nuts, because of their fat content, are relatively high in calories for their weight. Monounsaturated fat is the best of the fat categories but, like all fats, supplies more calories per gram than proteins or carbohydrates, the other major nutrients. So if nuts are newly included in the diabetic diet menu it may be necessary to eliminate another food item in order to maintain the same daily calorie intake. It is very important not to gain weight while adding the benefits that nuts provide.

How many almonds are appropriate?
In the studies that provided the positive results, the daily intakes were about 3 ounces of almonds per day - where an ounce of almonds is about 20 to 25 nuts and about 170 calories. From my own experience, I find that is too many to eat in comfort day after day, especially if walnuts are included too, so I will probably go with about half that amount per day and maybe not every day either if I make this a long-time practice - but that's just my way, the point is that the studies cited 3 ounces per day in one case and 2-1/2 ounces in another.

One last thing
It is not discussed in the scientific studies but I have learned from elsewhere that to get the most benefit from them, the almonds should be soaked in water for about 12 hours and then dried out with low heat. This is to soften the brown skins, composed of an anti-enzyme substance called phylate, soaking them helps the release of their nutrients and make them easier to digest.

By the way, the trials lasted for several months, 24 weeks in one case. The group whose diet included almonds was able to reduce their diabetes medications by the end of the trial period.

In conclusion
So fellow diabetics, perhaps it's worth adding almonds to our diabetic menus - but remember to cut down on calories elsewhere to make up for it. Each ounce of almonds contains about 170 calories remember.

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