Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet: a reanalysis

Year Published: 2018

Journal

Diabetologia

Authors

"David J. A. Jenkins, Cyril W. C. Kendall, Benoît Lamarche, Monica S. Banach, Korbua Srichaikul, Edward Vidgen, Sandy Mitchell, Tina Parker, Stephanie Nishi, Balachandran Bashyam, Russell J. de Souza, Christopher Ireland, Sathish C. Pichika, Joseph Beyene, John L. Sievenpiper, Robert G. Josse"

Methods

This study was a randomized controlled trial that included 117 men and post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes (T2D), all taking glucose-lowering medications. Participants were randomized into 3 groups for 3 months: full-dose mixed nut diet (75g/d), a mixed diet, and a whole wheat muffin diet (188g/d). Authors wanted to test if nut intake as a replacement for carbohydrates improved glycemic control and decreased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in type 2 diabetes.

Key Findings

Key Findings: -Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which is a long-term measurement of blood glucose control, was significantly lower in the full dose nut group vs the full dose muffin group (p=0.026). Compared with the full-dose muffin diet, the full-dose nut group had a significant reduction in Apolipoprotein B, the main protein in cholesterol (p=0.039). There was also a reduction in total cholesterol (p=0.026) and LDL (p=0.049).