PRESS RELEASE
Two ounces of nuts per day may help pre-diabetic and
diabetic patients to decrease their fasting glucose and
insulin resistance
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Researchers have found that an intake of two ounces (57 g) of pistachios per day can
help pre-diabetics to decrease fasting glucose, insulin, and the homeostasis model
assessment of insulin resistance.
Another study has shown that two ounces of tree nuts can decrease triglycerides
and fasting glucose in people with type 2 diabetes.
By 2035, there will be almost 600 million people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and
almost 900 million people with prediabetes, according to the latest International
Diabetes Federation report.
14 November 2015- Nut consumption has beneficial effects on glucose and insulin levels,
according to the latest researches studying the relationship between the consumption of nuts
and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). The PREDIMED study has proven that following a
Mediterranean diet, with 30 g of nuts a day, reduced the incidence of diabetes by 52% in
people with high cardiovascular risk aged between 55 and 80 years, who were nondiabetic when the study began. 1
Two other researchers following this line have shown that two ounces (57 g) of nuts per day can
improve insulin resistance. Researchers from the University of Toronto have performed a metaanalysis of 12 studies into the effects of nuts on health. They have found that consuming
about two ounces of tree nuts per day significantly decreases triglycerides and fasting
blood glucose and helps glycemic control in those patients with type 2 diabetes. Indeed,
participants showed a mean decrease of glucose of 0.15 mmol/L after eight-weeks of tree nuts’
diets compared with control diets. This analysis also applies to patients with metabolic
syndrome, a cluster of risk factors shown to be associated with an increased risk for T2D,
cardiovascular disease and mortality. 2
In addition, researchers at the Human Nutrition Unit, from Rovira i Virgili University, have proven
that the intake of two ounces (57 g) of pistachios per day has a significant effect: it
decreases fasting glucose, and favors insulin and the homeostasis model assessment of
insulin resistance. 3
This line of study has been followed by Dr. S. Gulati, from the Diabetes Foundation in India,
who has shown that a diet containing pistachios may improve the cardiometabolic profile of
those subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome. In fact, it has been shown to significantly
reduce fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. 4
Currently, about 400 million people (more than 5% of the population) have T2D. It is estimated
that by 2035 there will be almost 600 million people living with T2D and almost 900 million
people with pre-diabetes, a silent state associated with a high risk of several deadly conditions
including T2D, heart disease, hypertension, strokes and early death.5
About the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) members include nearly 700 nut and dried
fruit-sector companies from over 70 countries. INC is the international organization of reference
regarding health, nutrition, statistics, food safety, international standards and regulations
relating to nuts and dried fruit.
References:
1.
Salas-Salvadó J, Bulló M, Babio N, Martínez-González MÁ, Ibarrola-Jurado N, Basora J, et al.
Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with the mediterranean diet: Results of the PREDIMED-Reus
nutrition intervention randomized trial. Diabetes Care 2011;34:14–9.
2.
Viguiliouk E, Kendall CWC, Blanco Mejia S, Cozma AI, Ha V, Mirrahimi A, et al. Effect of tree nuts
on glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled dietary
trials. PLoS One 2014;9:e103376.
3.
Hernández-Alonso P, Salas-Salvadó J, Baldrich-Mora M, Juanola-Falgarona M, Bulló M.
Beneficial Effect of Pistachio Consumption on Glucose Metabolism, Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, and
Related Metabolic Risk Markers: a Randomized Clinical Trial. Diabetes Care 2014;37:3098–105.
4.
Gulati S, Misra A, Pandey RM, Bhatt SP, Saluja S. Effects of pistachio nuts on body composition,
metabolic, inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in Asian Indians with metabolic syndrome: a 24wk, randomized control trial. Nutrition 2014;30:192–7.
5.
International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes Atlas, 6th edn [Internet]. Brussels, Belgium 2013.
Available from: http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas