By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, July 22, 2005, abstracted from “Structured dietary advice incorporating walnuts achieves optimal fat and energy balance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus” in the July 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Diabetic Association
Type 2 Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, dramatically increasing the risk for heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, extremity amputations, and other chronic conditions. Type 2 diabetes costs the American Healthcare system $132 billion each year.1
According to the American Diabetic Association (ADA), everyone can help prevent Type 2 diabetes “by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity”. Nutritional choices suggested by the ADA include “eating a wide variety of foods including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non–fat dairy products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish”.2
Now a new study3 recommends adding another food to the ADA list: Walnuts.
Walnuts have received special attention due to their high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and the potent antioxidant gamma tocopherol, both shown to help decrease heart disease risk.(4, 5) While suggestions have been made about the ability to PUFA’s to influence insulin action and energy metabolism,6 the effects of dietary PUFA’s have been less well studied in people with diabetes.7
In the study, 55 men and women with established type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group followed a low-fat diet and was given general advice, the second group followed a modified low-fat diet where advice was given to differentiate foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and the third group followed a walnut-specific diet and were instructed to take 30 g walnuts per day (equal to one large handful). Dietary intakes and clinical outcomes were measured at the beginning of the study and at 3 and 6 months.
The researchers wanted to see if the patients would be able to attain certain dietary fat goals of less than 10% of energy from saturated fat, 7% to 10% of energy from PUFA, adequate omega-3 PUFA intake and an omega-6 to omega-3 PUFA ratio of less than 10:1.
The researchers found that, despite having an increased fat intake in walnut group, calorie intakes were similar among all three groups. The walnut group, however, was the only group to achieve all fatty acid intake targets and had the greatest proportion of subjects achieving targets.
For the researchers, “the regular inclusion of walnuts in the context of the total diet helps achieve optimal fat intake proportions without adverse effects on total fat or energy intakes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.”
Reference:
Hogan, P., T. Dall, et al. (2003). "Economic costs of diabetes in the US in 2002." Diabetes Care 26(3): 917-32
“How to Prevent Or Delay Diabetes” posted on the American Diabetes Association Website www.diabetes.org/diabetes-prevention/how-to-prevent-diabetes.jsp
Gillen LJ. Structured dietary advice incorporating walnuts achieves optimal fat and energy balance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jul;105(7):1087-96
Djousse, LJ. "Relation between dietary linolenic acid and coronary artery disease in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study." Am J Clin Nutr 2001 74(5): 612-9
Ohrvall, MG. "Gamma, but not alpha, tocopherol levels in serum are reduced in coronary heart disease patients." J Intern Med 1996; 239(2): 111-7
Storlien LH, Tapsell LC, Calvert GD: Role of dietary factors: macronutrients. Nutr Rev 58:S7-S9, 2000
Wheeler M, American Diabetes Association: Evidence-based nutrition principles and recommendations for the treatment and prevention of diabetes and related complications. Diabetes Care 25:148-198, 2002
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