Do nuts really help with diabetes and cardiovascular disease?

The authors of this paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition begin by observing...

"The ability of nuts to improve the blood lipid profile and reduce the risk of CHD (coronary heart disease) is now well established. The interest that health effects of nuts have gained recently has brought the possible benefits of consuming nuts, such as improvement in the conditions of the metabolic syndrome, and their potential to prevent and control diabetes into focus."

They report an important observation:

"Acute feeding studies indicate that nuts have minimal effects on rising postprandial blood glucose levels when eaten alone, and diminish the postprandial glycaemic response when consumed with high-glycaemic index carbohydrate foods in both normoglycaemic and type 2 diabetic individuals."

This means that whether your blood sugar is still OK or has already gone too high, if you consume nuts with a meal or snack—even if it is, at least to a degree, more glycemic than desirable—the nuts will prevent your blood sugar from spiking too high and overstimulating the release of insulin. And eating nuts alone has a trivial effect on raising blood sugar.The authors further note...

"Nuts have a healthy nutritional profile, high in MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids), are a good source of vegetable protein and are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals....early data indicate that the inclusion of nuts in the diets of individuals with diabetes and the metabolic syndrome is warranted, in view of their potential to reduce CHD risk."

However, don't forget that tree nuts are among the more common food allergens.