India– Two new research studies with almonds, one conducted over three days and the other over three months, demonstrated benefits to blood sugar control for Asian Indians with pre-diabetes and overweight/obesity – and the three-month almond intervention broke new ground, reversing pre-diabetes, or glucose intolerance, to normal blood sugar levels in nearly one quarter (23.3%) of the people studied.
Two studies funded by the Almond Board of California found that preloading almonds 30 minutes before major meals could reduce glucose and insulin fluctuations after meals and reduce overall hyperglycemia compared to a control diet. This is a first-of-its-kind statistically significant reduction in measures of pre-diabetes and could help stave off diabetes progression. Part 1 study revealed One Day Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing (OGTT). Part 2 study compared the glycemic effects of preloading three meals a day with 20 g (0.7 oz) of almonds for three consecutive days in 60 participants.
Researchers found that the almond group had lower indicators for hyperglycemia, such as blood glucose, serum insulin, glucagon, and C-peptide, and improved regulation of glycemic responses. Dr. Anoop Misra, Professor and Chairman, Fortis-C-DOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases, and Endocrinology commented “Our outcomes provide a promising dietary strategy for reducing pre diabetes progression and returning people to normal glucose regulation.”
