Nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and good fats are abundant in hazelnuts. Additionally, they might help lower blood fat levels, control blood pressure, lessen inflammation, and improve blood sugar levels, among other health advantages. Overall, they are a great and tasty way to get nutrients that you can easily include in your diet. In this blog, we’ll learn about the relationship between hazelnuts and diabetes.
Are nuts good for diabetes?
Yes, in a nutshell. Monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals are all found in nuts. They also have a low carbohydrate content. This indicates that they are still nutrient-dense while also helping us feel full and lowering blood sugar.
She goes on to say that eating nuts when people are hungry helps control their blood sugar levels rather than reaching for a snack that is high in fat or carbohydrates.
Eating nuts on a regular basis makes you feel so full, satiated, and nutrient-dense that you don’t need to reach for other snacks to satisfy your hunger, which improves blood sugar and cholesterol control.
Additionally, it has been demonstrated that nuts increase “good” cholesterol and decrease “bad” cholesterol.
Consuming a minimum of three servings of nuts every week. An ounce, or roughly the quantity that would fit in your palm, is considered a serving size.
Nutritional Profile of Hazelnuts:
The nutritional profile of hazelnuts is excellent. They are packed with nutrients and good fats, despite their high calorie content.
An ounce (28 grams, or around 20 entire kernels) of hazelnuts contains:
- Calories: 176
- Total fat: 17 grams
- Protein: 4.2 grams
- Carbs: 4.7 grams
- Fiber: 2.7 grams
- Vitamin E: 21% of the RDI
- Thiamin: 12% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
- Copper: 24% of the RDI
- Manganese: 87% of the RDI
Hazelnuts and Diabetes: Health Benefits
Hazelnuts and diabetes have a beneficial connection, as these nutrient-rich nuts can help regulate blood sugar levels and support heart health.
Loaded with Antioxidants
Hazelnuts are a good source of antioxidants. Oxidative stress, which can harm cell structure and accelerate aging, cancer, and heart disease, is prevented by antioxidants.
Phenolic chemicals are the most prevalent antioxidants found in hazelnuts. They have been shown to reduce inflammation and blood cholesterol. They might also be helpful for cancer prevention and heart health.
May Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels
It has been demonstrated that nuts like walnuts and almonds can lower blood sugar levels. Research suggests eating hazelnuts may similarly lower blood sugar levels, despite their scarcity. A meal high in oleic acid was found to improve insulin sensitivity and considerably lower fasting blood sugar and insulin levels in 11 individuals with type 2 diabetes. A diet high in this nut appears to have the potential to reduce blood sugar levels.
Increasing Sensitivity to Insulin
Insulin sensitivity may be enhanced by consuming a nut mix that contains hazelnuts. According to a small 2011 study, participants’ insulin sensitivity increased over 12 weeks when they consumed a 30-g nut mix that included 7.5 g of hazelnuts daily. Type 2 diabetes is partly caused by decreased insulin sensitivity. The condition’s risk is decreased by increasing this sensitivity.
May be Good for the Heart
It has been demonstrated that eating nuts protects the heart. The high quantity of antioxidants and good fats in hazelnuts may boost antioxidant capacity and reduce blood cholesterol. In a one-month research, 21 individuals with elevated cholesterol levels ate 18–20% of their daily caloric intake from hazelnuts. The findings demonstrated a decrease in harmful LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
Lower Cancer Rates
Hazelnuts’ high concentration of antioxidant chemicals, vitamins, and minerals may have anti-cancer properties. They contain the highest quantity of proanthocyanidins, a type of antioxidant, among other nuts like pecans and pistachios.
Proanthocyanidins may help prevent and treat certain types of cancer, according to some research conducted on animals and in test tubes. They are believed to offer protection from oxidative stress. Vitamin E, another potent antioxidant that has shown potential protection against cell damage that could cause or encourage cancer, is also abundant in them.
Easy to Add to Your Diet
You can include hazelnuts in your diet as a nutritious snack or as a component of many different recipes.
They can be bought and consumed whole, roasted, sliced, ground, or uncooked. It’s interesting to note that people seem to prefer whole and sliced hazelnuts over ground ones. Even though the skin contains the most antioxidants, some recipes call for removing the skin. This can be accomplished by roasting the kernels for around ten minutes, which facilitates the peeling of the skins. Peeled hazelnuts can be processed to form a healthy spread called hazelnut butter or flour for baking.
Risks and Considerations
Hazelnut allergies are among the many nut allergies that people suffer. Always verify before adding the nuts to a meal when preparing for other people.
A person should be aware of their daily caloric intake in order to reap the health benefits of hazelnuts. It’s easy to consume more calories than necessary when adding anything to a diet, which might result in weight gain.
Conclusion
Hazelnuts are packed with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats, making them beneficial for hazelnuts and diabetes management. They may help lower blood fat levels, control blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve blood sugar levels, among other health benefits. Overall, hazelnuts are a delicious and easy way to add valuable nutrients to your diet.
For personalized care and deeper insights into managing diabetes, consider booking an appointment with our specialist. Your health deserves the best attention.
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