California Walnuts | Essential Food for Health

Eating Nuts Reduces Risk of Diabetes

In 2002 a group of researchers at Harvard discovered a link between nut consumption and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Women who ate 1-ounce portions of nuts five times or more each week had a 27% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the women who rarely or never ate nuts.

Eating Walnuts Improves Cholesterol Levels in People with Type 2 Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes are twice as likely to die of heart disease compared to people without diabetes. One reason for this may be the fact that people with diabetes tend to have higher LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and LDL particles that stick to arteries and damage arterial walls more easily.

Researchers in Australia wondered if walnuts could reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. In 2004 they reported that eating an ounce of walnuts each day, as part of a healthful diet, reduced LDL “bad” cholesterol by 10%. These researchers are continuing to examine ways walnuts may protect the heart health of people with type 2 diabetes.

Why are walnuts so beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes?

There are three types of fat in the foods we eat: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.  Replacing sources of saturated fat with mono- and polyunsaturated fat can help improve cholesterol levels, and improving cholesterol levels can reduce risk of heart disease. 

Most nuts are rich in monounsaturated fat, but the majority of fat in walnuts is polyunsaturated. Experts believe polyunsaturated fats from foods like walnuts have additional benefits including improving insulin sensitivity and increasing energy expenditure. Since insulin sensitivity (or insulin resistance) and weight management are common concerns for people with diabetes, these potential benefits from walnuts are noteworthy. They require further investigation, and researchers are currently exploring these effects.

One final note: Many people are concerned about weight gain when told to add walnuts to their diet. The Australian researchers reported that including n ounce of walnuts in the daily diet, typically as an afternoon snack, helped their patients achieve optimal fatty acid intake without jeopardizing caloric balance.