Peanuts for Diabetes

Recently, a study from Harvard University found a direct link between regular consumption of peanuts or peanut butter and low incidence of type two diabetes. The study was conducted with 83 thousand women from the United States, who used to eat at least five tablespoons of peanut butter or five ounces of peanuts a week. These participants were evaluated every four years regarding their diet and, at the end of the 16-year-long study, none of them presented diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer. The researchers concluded that daily consumption of one tablespoon of peanut butter or an ounce of peanuts could reduce the risk of diabetes by more than twenty percent.

Statistics of the Department of Agriculture of the United States show that the peanut represents a 68 per cent of the nuts consumed in the country. This means that more than half of Americans consume this food. So why so much incidence of diabetes? It should be borne in mind that the peanut itself does not make a “miracle” but include it in our daily food and replace certain foods such as white flour, sugars and saturated fats, these seeds is what brings benefits to health.

Why are healthy peanuts and peanut butter? These foods are low in saturated fat, salt and sugar. Furthermore, most of which contain fat is unsaturated, which is good for heart health and helps prevent diabetes. They also contain fiber and magnesium, so that lower insulin resistance and inversely related to the risk of type two diabetes. Also contain more protein than any other vegetable and nut are rich in vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, zinc, antioxidants and phytosterols.