World Diabetes Day: Nuts linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes

BARCELONA -- Diabetes now affects over 347 million people worldwide. By 2030, according to the World Health Organization, diabetes will have become the seventh cause of death. 

With relation to the celebration of the World Diabetes Day, the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) is citing a study that finds regular consumption of nuts can help protect the cardiovascular system against type 2 diabetes.

According to the PREDIMED (Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases through a Mediterranean diet) study, nut consumption as part of a Mediterranean diet can help reduce the incidence rate of type 2 diabetes by 52 percent. 

This finding reinforce the earlier results from the study “Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet” carried out on more than a hundred volunteers by the Toronto University in Canada. In type 2-diabetes patients aged over 60, the consumption of nuts increases body energy, which makes achieving a healthy weight easier and makes it easier for diabetes patients to control the disease. In addition, consuming nuts has been associated to a lower risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases and reduces the blood cholesterol levels[i]. 

Likewise, the conclusions from the PREDIMED study stress that following a Mediterranean diet, with 30grs of nuts a day, reduced the diabetes incidence by 52% among the people between 55 and 80 - non-diabetic when the study began - who followed this type of diet for at least four years[ii]. 

Type 2 diabetes accounts for between 90 and 95% of all cases of diabetes, and is usually associated with overweight and a lack of physical activity, among other risk factors such as hypertension. In 2012, one and a half million people died due to their excess of fasting blood sugar[iii].

Coinciding with the World Diabetes Day, celebrated every year on November 14, the INC wants to recall these data. 

"During the World Diabetes Day, it's important to inform the population about the newest data that is important for them, such as the benefits that nut consumption can have on their health. Due to their properties, nuts reduce the risk of suffering from chronic diseases. Furthermore, their regular consumption helps limit, among other things, ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL) levels, reducing them by between 7 and 10%, said Jordi Salas-Salvado, professor of Nutrition on the Rovira i Virgili University and chairman of the INC World Forum for Nutrition Research and Dissemination.

The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) has its headquarters in Reus (Tarragona, Spain) and groups nearly 700 professionals of the nut sector from over 70 countries. 

References:

[i] Jenkins et al. Diabetes Care 2011;34:1706-1711

[ii] Salas-Salvado J, Bullo M, Babio N, et. Al. On behalf of the PREDIMED study investigatrors. Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2-Diabetes with the Mediterranean Diet: results of the PREDIMED-Reus Nutrition Intervention Randomized Trial. Diabetes Care 2011; 34:14-9 

[iii] WHO (World Health Organization), descriptive note no 132, Diabetes. Latest entry november 2014.