Pistachios: a must eat in 'diabetes capital' of the world
Lowers Blood Sugar Level & Reduces Hunger Stimulating Hormones - University Of Toronto Study
Tweet-- Pistachios, when eaten with common high-carbohydrate foods like white bread, may actually slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the body, resulting in a lower than expected blood sugar level according to a study conducted by the University of Toronto. Healthy snacks like pistachios can help control diabetes in a country like India where 40 million people suffer from the disease, and this figure is likely to go up to 80 million by 2025.
Individuals with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. In the last few decades, India has emerged as the world capital for heart diseases. There are more people with heart problems in India than anywhere else in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 percent of the world's cardiac patients will be Indian by 2010. Recent research found eating one to two handfuls of pistachios a day results in a nine to 12 percent reduction in "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
"Controlling blood glucose levels is important for preventing and controlling diabetes. Pistachios have been shown to decrease risk factors for diabetes. Our preliminary findings demonstrate that suppressing the glycemic (blood sugar) response of high carbohydrate foods may be part of the mechanism by which pistachios contribute to the prevention and control of diabetes," said Dr. Cyril Kendall, lead researcher of the study and a professor in the University of Toronto's Department of Nutritional Sciences.
According to an Indo-US study, there are about 2.98 million people suffering from diabetes in New Delhi alone. The University of Toronto study shows that when eaten with a high glycemic index food like white bread, pistachios help blunt the rise in blood sugar and reduced hunger-stimulating hormones. This helps control appetite, and may have a benefit in improving long-term blood sugar control.
"In the past five decades, the rates of coronary disease among urban populations have more than doubled from four to 11 percent. The situation is of concern in India where more and more young people are getting affected by heart diseases like stroke and peripheral vascular disease. The mono-unsaturated fat in pistachios has been scientifically proven to help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good cholesterol (HDL) which protects the heart. It also reduces C-reactive protein levels that are linked with inflammation and risk of heart diseases," said Dr. R. R. Kasliwal, Chairman, Clinical & Preventive Cardiology, Medanta The Medicity.
The studies, Glycemic Response of Pistachios - A Dose Response Study and Effect of Pistachios Consumed with Different Common Carbohydrate Foods on Postprandial Glycemia, are the first of their kind to examine the effects of pistachios and glucose levels in combination with carbohydrates. The research was led by the University of Toronto's Dr. Cyril Kendall and Dr. David Jenkins - researchers well known for their studies of the glycemic index which measures how rapidly sugars from foods are absorbed into the blood stream. Certain carbohydrates elevate blood sugar levels more quickly than other foods - like pistachios - that contain higher levels of protein, fiber and monounsaturated fat. In general, foods that do not quickly raise blood sugar are often considered healthier than their more processed counterparts.
Drs. Jenkins and Kendall and their research colleagues studied 10 healthy individuals who participated in a number of acute dietary studies over the course of two months. After an overnight fast, participants were given a one-, two- or three-ounce serving of pistachios alone or served with white bread and blood sugar levels were measured over a two-hour period. The findings suggest that consumption of pistachios with a carbohydrate-rich meal significantly lowered the blood glucose response. As consumption of pistachios increased, the blood sugar lowering response was enhanced. In addition, when pistachios were consumed alone, the rise in blood glucose was minimal.
The researchers also monitored the effect of pistachios consumed with different common carbohydrate foods on postprandial glycemia, or blood sugar levels after eating. The addition of pistachios to a number of other commonly consumed carbohydrate-rich foods - such as mashed potatoes, pasta and rice - also resulted in significant reductions in the blood sugar response, compared to when these foods were eaten alone.
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