Around 1.9 million Australians are living with diabetes. So, how can nuts help? We put the spotlight on diabetes and nuts, to sum up the latest evidence.

Diabetes impacts many Australians

According to Diabetes Australia (1), diabetes is the seventh most-common cause of death by disease in Australia. And type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable, accounts for 85-90% of all cases of diabetes. This means around 1.3 million Australians are currently living with type 2 diabetes.

A role for nuts in diabetes prevention and management

We know that diet and lifestyle play an important role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, managing existing diabetes, and preventing or reducing diabetes-related complications.

Did you know? Current diabetes guidelines, across the world, promote healthy plant-based dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, for managing type 2 diabetes (2,3). Nuts are encouraged within each of these healthy dietary patterns.

Study findings to date suggest that higher nut consumption may help in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes (4) – but further research is needed in this emerging area.

What we know so far:

• Some (but not all) large cohort studies have found higher consumption of total nuts is linked with lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Nuts may benefit glycaemic control – with acute (short) studies showing reductions in postprandial (after a meal) glucose levels, and long-term trials finding modest positive effects on blood glucose control (that is, reductions in fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c – a measure of average blood glucose levels over the previous few months).
• Including nuts in the diet may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in people living with type 2 diabetes.  

What is it about nuts that might help in preventing and managing diabetes?

• GI-lowering effect. Nuts contain relatively small amounts of carbohydrate, and because of this, most nuts do not have a glycaemic index (GI). But when nuts are combined with foods rich in carbohydrates, they slow the digestion of the entire meal – meaning that they help reduce the overall GI of a meal.
• Nuts are rich in healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and are low in saturated fats. Research suggests substitution of carbohydrates or saturated fats with unsaturated fats may improve markers of glycaemic control.
• Nuts contain fibre. Fibre helps manage diabetes by slowing down the absorption of nutrients in the gut – resulting in a lower rise in blood glucose levels after eating. A fibre-rich diet can also help reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
• Vitamins and minerals. Nuts contain relatively high amounts of vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium, among other nutrients, which may impact the risk and management of diabetes. For instance, most nuts contain magnesium which can help improve fasting blood glucose levels.
• Bioactive compounds – Nuts are made up of a matrix of valuable bioactive compounds, including polyphenols. While research is still emerging in this area, polyphenols – which are thought to act as prebiotics in the gut – may have a role in improving HbA1C and insulin resistance

Some people with type 2 diabetes may also be concerned about their weight, or their blood lipid levels, including high blood cholesterol – which is a risk factor for CVD.

Research consistently shows that regularly eating nuts reduces, not increases, adiposity measures (body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference) (5-7). And regularly eating nuts can also reduce the risk of CVD by 21%, and the risk of dying from it by 22% (8).

Are some nuts better than others?

All nuts are good for you. We recommend enjoying raw or roasted unsalted nuts where possible, and stocking up on a variety of nuts, for a healthy mix of the unique nutrients they each offer.

Everyone should be aiming for 30g of nuts daily

Diabetes or not, everyone should be aiming for 30g (around a handful) of nuts every day. And with only 2% of Australians eating this amount (9), many of us have plenty of scope to increase our nut intake!