BOSTON--Women with a high intake of nuts--particularly as peanut butter--had a significantly lower risk of developing Type II diabetes, according to Harvard researchers publishing in the Nov. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (288, 20:2554-60, 2002) (www.jama.com).
Researchers, led by Rui Jiang, M.D., reviewed dietary data from 83,818 women (ages 34 to 59) participating in the Nurses' Health Study over 16 years. In that time, 3,206 women developed Type II diabetes. Those who ate the equivalent of a handful of nuts or one tablespoon of peanut butter at least five times per week reduced their risk of developing Type II diabetes by more than 20 percent compared to those women who rarely or never ate nuts or peanut butter. The reduced risk was independent of known risk factors for the disease, including body mass index, family history of diabetes, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and dietary factors.
"We were not really surprised by our findings," Jiang said. "Nuts contain a lot of fat, but most fats in nuts are mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are good for insulin sensitivity and serum cholesterol. Nuts are also rich in antioxidant vitamins, minerals, plant protein and dietary fiber." Jiang and colleagues noted in their conclusions that to avoid excess fat intake, nuts should be used as a replacement for--not in addition to--refined grains or red meat.
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