A nutty way to prevent diabetes: eating nuts and peanut butter may help protect you against type 2 diabetes - Diet and Nutrition - Brief Article

WHEN YOU SNACK, GO NUTS, says a new report. Eating a handful of nuts or a spoonful of peanut butter every day can ward off type 2 diabetes, a chronic imbalance of your blood sugar and insulin. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston analyzed 16 years of data on more than 83,000 women and found that those who ate an ounce of nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter at least five times a week reduced their diabetes risk by 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts.

Lead researcher Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., says that the protection comes from the fiber, healthy fats, and magnesium in nuts, which other research has shown control sugar and insulin levels. Any type of nut or nut butter will do, he says. But look for nut butters that don't have added sugar. And because nuts are high in calories, eat them instead of, not in addition to, other snacks.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group