HAVE A NUT-TRITIOUS MEAL OR SNACK
by: Beth Anderson, RD, CDE
As a Registered Dietitian I often get asked the question, “What is a good snack that will not raise my blood glucose?” In a recent study by Dr. David Jenkins at the University of Toronto, it was reported that “consuming 2 ounces of nuts daily as a replacement for carbohydrate was effective at blood glucose and lipid control for people with type 2 diabetes.” The study used a variety of mixed raw or dry-roasted nuts including raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias. In this study the participants were divided into 3 groups: one group was the nuts-only group and they were given about 2.5 oz. of nuts as a supplement for carbohydrate typically in their diet, the second group was given only a whole wheat muffin, and the third group received ½ the amount of nuts and ½ of the muffin. The nuts-only group showed the greatest improvement in BG control as tested by a Hba1c test. The subjects in the muffin -only and muffin/nut groups showed no significant improvement in blood sugar. The nuts-only group also enjoyed a drop in their LDL cholesterol or (Lousy Lipid). A word of caution, although it appears that nuts don’t have much effect on blood glucose, the amounts used in the study were only 2.5 ounces. If you eat larger servings, remember that even though they contain the healthy, monounsaturated fat, they are dense in caloric value, and could pack on the pounds if eaten often in larger quantities.
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Posted: January 25, 2012