Crunch your way health by snacking on nuts! Research is showing that all nuts have powerful diabetes healing properties. However, the humble almond is particularly potent.
Studies show that almonds can curb the surge and dive of glucose after people eat meals of refined carbs. They also improve insulin sensitivity while melting away fat. So there’s no need to fear damaging weight gain when you include almonds in your diet.
Almonds soften blood sugar spikes. Refined carbs like those found in white bread are deadly for diabetics, because they set off a spike and crash in blood sugar levels. That creates ravenous hunger for more carbs, which continue the spike/crash pattern. However, research published in Metabolism shows that almonds helped lower blood sugar levels even when people ate refined carbs like white bread. The more almonds people ate, the less their blood sugar bounced up and down.
Almonds crack insulin sensitivity. When cells are overwhelmed with glucose, those cells start to shut out insulin when it tries to deliver more glucose. So it takes more insulin to push glucose into cells. This is known as insulin resistance. But according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, almonds improve insulin sensitivity. In other words, the almond encourages cells to answer the door more quickly when insulin knocks. This means you don’t need as much insulin to get the job done. And that gives your pancreas a much-needed break.
Munch Almonds to Melt Away Fat. Everyone knows that almonds are high in calories, so they must cause weight gain. But that’s not true! Several studies have shown that nuts help people lose weight. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that those who ate almonds as part of a low-calorie diet for six months could reduce their weight by 11% and their waistlines by 9%. In addition, 96% of those in the study who had type 1 (juvenile) diabetes was able to reduce their need for diabetes medication. In a similar Spanish study involving 8,865 adults, those who ate nuts at least twice a week were 31% less likely to gain weight than those who seldom ate nuts.
Trust your gut when you crave nuts. Go ahead and indulge, especially when it comes to almonds.
