With the growing number of people with diabetes and even pre-diabetes diseases, there is an urgent need to rethink lifestyle habits. A new study suggested that snacking on almonds helped improve glucose metabolism in teenagers and young adults in India with prediabetes.
The randomized controlled clinical trial conducted in Mumbai aimed to determine the effects of Almond consumption Metabolic dysfunction factors including blood sugar, lipids, insulin, and select markers of inflammation in urban adolescents and young adults (16-25 years of age) with prediabetes.
The study was a parallel study with 275 participants (59 male, 216 female) with impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes). At the beginning of the study, the weight, height, waist and hip circumference of the participants were measured and fasting blood samples were taken. Participants also underwent a glucose tolerance test and their lipid profiles were rated.
Improving blood sugar levels in the prediabetes stage can help prevent or delay the development of diabetes. In addition, the consumption of almonds significantly reduced total cholesterol and the “bad” LDL cholesterol compared to the control group, while the “good” HDL cholesterol level was maintained.
How does it work?
Almonds reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol, and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) known as good cholesterol. This helps lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease, said Dr. Shalini Garwin Bliss, Nutritionist for HOD, Columbia Asia Hospital, Palam Vihar Gurugram.
At the end of the study, participants performed a food intake assessment and the same measurements and blood tests were performed again. However, there were no changes in weight, height, waist or hip circumference, or biochemical markers or macronutrient intake between the almond group and the control from start to post-intervention.
The fasting blood sugar level was significantly reduced in the control group compared to the almond group after the intervention. The FG: FI ratio (fasting glucose: fasting insulin) decreased in the almond group, while it increased in the control group, but was not statistically significant.
How do almonds reduce the risk of diabetes?
“Almonds are high in magnesium, which reduces a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Since diabetics are at higher risk of developing heart disease, adding almonds can help reduce that risk. You can have Almonds Soak in water overnight first thing in the morning. You can also have it in various oatmeal recipes or eat it as a healthy snack throughout the day, ”said Dt Neha Pathania, Paras Hospitals chief dietician, Gurugram.
How many have
In the study, the almond group (n = 107) ate 56 grams (about the same number of calories Both the almond and savory snacks accounted for 20 percent of the participants’ total caloric intake.
Pathania mentioned that 8 almonds a day is a good number. “Can take four in the morning and four in the evening,” she said.
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