Useful properties of almonds | Limitations
Almonds are an extremely beneficial product for diabetics. Its advantage is not only a low glycemic index, but also a high nutritional value, which is very important for patients with diabetes. Almonds are ideal for healthy snacks.
Useful properties of almonds for patients with diabetes mellitus
Almond nuts are filled with vitality and energy. They contain a large amount of fiber, minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc, as well as vitamins E, D, a complex of vitamins of group B – mainly niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid.
Useful properties of almonds for diabetes is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which increase the level of beneficial cholesterol in the body. Most medical experts recommend consuming monounsaturated fats in your diet for diabetes.
All other things being equal, people who include almonds in their diet have a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes due to the high content of fiber and monounsaturated fats in the almonds.
A large study by scientists from Harvard University showed that a high daily dose of magnesium reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 33%. As you know, in almonds, magnesium is contained in large quantities. Thus, almonds, along with pumpkin seeds and spinach (these products are also rich in magnesium), reduce the risk of diabetes.
Eating almonds is also indicated for patients with type 2 diabetes. As you know, with this disease, the sensitivity of the body’s cells to insulin decreases, and therefore glucose is not fully synthesized and causes a dangerous increase in blood sugar. Almonds accelerate metabolism, which helps improve glycemic control.
A study published in the British journal Diabetes Care found that nuts, such as almonds, can help maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels for postmenopausal men and women with type 2 diabetes.
Almonds are good for people with diabetes. The effect of regular consumption of almonds on blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes has been proven in another study. A group of patients regularly consumed 1 ounce (28 g) of almonds per day for 12 weeks. By the end of the experiment, they had a 4% reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), as well as a decrease in body mass index (BMI).
Karen Lapsley, chief researcher at the company that supplies California almonds to the market, said: “People with diabetes face many problems in the treatment of their diseases, so we always keep abreast of new research that, in general, suggests that that almonds help to avoid many health problems. ”
Almonds also help diabetics stabilize high blood pressure and triglycerides.
One ounce of almonds (28 grams) provides 37% of the daily intake of vitamin E in the form of D-alpha tocopherol. Being a strong antioxidant, vitamin E increases the shelf life of products and is an essential nutrient for the human body. Almonds are among the best food sources of alpha-tocopherol, the form of vitamin E that is best absorbed and used by the body.
Due to the ability of almonds to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol in the body, it is extremely useful for treating people with prediabetes – a condition preceding diabetes, in which the blood sugar level rises above normal, but does not yet exceed the limit of acceptable values.
A sharp increase in blood sugar after eating is a contributing factor to diabetes. The presence of almonds in the diet contributes to a slower absorption of carbohydrates and an increase in blood sugar due to the fiber contained in it. This fact makes almonds a great product for reducing insulin resistance and good blood glucose control.
Limitations on the use of almond for diabetes
Despite all the benefits of almonds, it should be remembered that it is a very high-calorie product (contains 609 kcal per 100 grams) and you cannot eat a lot of them. For example, 1 tablespoon with top contains 30 grams of almonds and 182.7 kcal.
Do not forget that the almonds contain carbohydrates (16.2 grams per 100 grams of product) and they must be taken into account when calculating the dose of insulin or sugar-lowering tablets.
For diabetes, it is better to avoid the use of salted almonds, which are packaged as beer snacks, as they contain a lot of salt, which causes water retention in the body and increases blood pressure.