Nuts in the Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes is a continuously growing global concern affecting >10% of adults, which may be mitigated by modifiable lifestyle factors. Consumption of nuts and their inclusion in dietary patterns has been associated with a range of beneficial health outcomes. Diabetes guidelines recommend dietary patterns that incorporate nuts; however, specific recommendations related to nuts have been limited. This review considers the epidemiological and clinical evidence to date for the role of nut consumption as a dietary strategy for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related complications. Findings suggest nut consumption may have a potential role in the prevention and management of T2D, with mechanistic studies assessing nuts and individual nut-related nutritional constituents supporting this possibility. However, limited definitive evidence is available to date, and future studies are needed to elucidate better the impact of nuts on the prevention and management of T2D.

Nutritional therapy bridges the critical cut-off point for the closed-loop role of type 2 diabetes and bone homeostasis: A narrative review

“…MD is a plant-based diet [ 136 ], and synergism with the rest of the food-derived components of its dietary structure is an effective way to improve insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antithrombotic properties in patients with T2DM [ 137 ]. Furthermore, a recent study suggesting nut consumption as a dietary strategy for the management of T2DM and related complications [ 147 ] further supports the validity of MD.…”

Obesity- and lipid-related indices as a predictor of type 2 diabetes in a national cohort study

“…Over the last two years, the prevalence of T2DM has increased by 16%, which is an alarming increase ( 2 ). Without taking into account the risk of death associated with COVID-19, in 2021, approximately 12.2% of adult all-cause deaths worldwide will be due to diabetes and its complications ( 3 ). In addition, 10.6% of adults in the world have poor glucose tolerance, which puts them at high risk of developing T2DM ( 3 ).…”

Phytochemicals and Biological Activities of Walnut Septum: A Systematic Review

“…Nuts and seeds, along with whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, are essential components of globally recommended healthy diet patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet [ 3 ] and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet [ 4 ]. Tree nuts and peanuts are nutrient-dense foods with complex phytochemical matrices [ 5 ]. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phytosterols, polyphenols, and fiber [ 5 ].…”

“…Tree nuts and peanuts are nutrient-dense foods with complex phytochemical matrices [ 5 ]. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phytosterols, polyphenols, and fiber [ 5 ].…”