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Almonds may help individuals avoid diabetes

Category: Diabetes

Individuals who have received abnormal insulin test results and are at risk for developing diabetes may benefit from adding more almonds to their diet. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has found that the nut may lower diabetes risk.

Almonds have been shown to benefit a number of areas of cardiovascular and metabolic health. They have been connected to improvements in cholesterol test results among many other benefits. Now, researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey have found that a diet rich in almonds may help individuals with pre-diabetes avoid developing the full condition.

For the study, the team assigned one group of participants to replace 20 percent of their daily caloric intake with almonds. The other group was assigned a standard diet that conformed to recommendations from the American Diabetes Association.

After the 16-week study period, researchers found that the participants on the almond diet had dramatic improvements in their insulin sensitivity. As a side benefit, these individuals were also able to lower their cholesterol levels.