If you have diabetes or high blood sugar, what cannot and can be eaten becomes a major topic of concern. Diet plays a significant role in controlling Type 2 diabetes and as Sumaiya A, Clinical Dietitian, Fortis Hospital, Kalyan, points out, one such beneficial food item for people with diabetes is nuts as they have many nutritional benefits. Nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The dietitian points out that when a diabetic person consumes nuts, they feel fuller. Due to this, when they have a proper meal, the consumption of the quantity of rice or chapati decreases, which in turn, helps in getting the sugar level under control.
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High blood sugar: Why you should have THESE nuts
Sumaiya A lists the different types of nuts that are good for people with diabetes and why:
1) Almond: Consumption of this nut is especially good when it comes to glucose control in pre-diabetes. Almonds are high in many nutrients along with fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, and vitamin 12, so include them in snacks.
2) Pistachio: It has a low glycemic index and eating pistachios improves glycemic status in people having Type 2 diabetes. A Mediterranean diet rich in pistachios improves glucose levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels.
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3) Walnut: It is a store house of omega 3 and is also used to make walnut oil. Walnut contains protein and polyunsaturated fats. Unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids) present in walnut may play a role in glucose control and also suppress your appetite by allevating hunger.
4) Cashew nut: Cashew nut extract has anti-diabetic properties. And while fat content in cashews are relatively higher, most of this is good fat which is healthy for diabetes patients. When it comes to saturated, monosaturated, and polyunsaturated fat, cashews have an ideal fat ratio of 1:2:1. Regular consumption can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL), which reduces risk of heart ailments. It also helps in lowering blood sugar levels.
5) Peanut: It is high in protein, fats and fibre, while at the same time has a low glycemic index; thus peanuts can reduce the spike in sugar levels.
While nuts are good for health, other health conditions should also be kept in mind and people should consult doctors in case they have problems like heart issues, cholesterol problems, hypertension etc. “All nuts should be consumed in moderate amount to control the sugar levels, and other health conditions,” Sumiaya adds.
