Almonds have an effect on glucose and fat metabolism and can be used to prevent prediabetes.
Mumbai, India: Almonds have been shown to have an effect on glucose and fat metabolism and can be used as part of the food-based strategy for preventing prediabetes, especially in young people, according to a recently published study by science platform Frontiers in Nutrition.
Diabetes has become a major global health problem in the past few decades. Much of the Indian population is at risk of diabetes or prediabetes. Consumption of unhealthy snacks made from refined foods has recently increased, leading to impaired health in the population. This has impacted metabolic health and increased the risk of developing obesity as well as obesity-associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs). One of the possible ways to improve metabolic health and reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases is to introduce healthy snacks. With this in mind, a group of researchers conducted a study to determine the effects of almond consumption on determinants of metabolic disorders – blood sugar, lipids, insulin, and selected markers of inflammation.
The project was a randomized, controlled, open, parallel-arm study conducted in community adolescents and young adults (16-25 years old) in Mumbai, India. It was carried out over a period of 90 days and the inclusion criteria were participants in the age group 16–25 years with impaired fasting glucose values between 100 and 125 mg / dl (5.6–6.9 mmol / l) and 2 hours after glucose value 140– 199 mg / dl (7.8–11.0 mmol / l) and / or fasting hyperinsulinemia (≥15 mI.U./ml) or glucose provocation hyperinsulinemia (≥80 mI.U./ml). The starting values were for fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin, stimulated (2 h after 75 g administration of glucose) blood sugar, stimulated insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, oxidized LDL, adiponectin, leptin, inflammation markers -IL-6 and TNF-α among the 275 participants . Randomization followed in order to assign the individuals to either the almond group or the control group. The participants in the almond group received 56 g of raw almonds daily, which were divided into 2 packets that were to be consumed as snacks on one day. The participants in the control group received commonly consumed isocaloric (such as 56g raw almonds) Indian savory snacks of 2 types to prevent taste fatigue.
The mean values of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) showed a significant reduction in the almond group compared to the control group. There was also a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL-c levels in the almond group compared to the control group, along with a decrease in the inflammatory marker IL-6.
Overall, the study’s almonds were found to have an impact on glucose metabolism by lowering HbA1c levels in just 12 weeks of consumption and treating dyslipidemia by lowering LDL-c and total cholesterol in the same population.
“Almonds can be a good healthy snack that can replace regular snacks and can be viewed as part of the food-based strategy for preventing prediabetes, especially in young people,” the researchers concluded.
Reference:
The study, entitled “Effect of Almond Consumption on Metabolic Risk Factors – Glucose Metabolism, Hyperinsulinemia, Selected Markers of Inflammation: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Adolescents and Young Adults,” was published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
