Could pistachio nuts reduce type 2 diabetes risk

People at risk of developing type 2 diabetes could benefit from adding pistachio nuts to their daily diet, new research suggests.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Rovira i Virgili University in Spain, found that pistachios can help prevent individuals diagnosed with prediabetes (or borderline diabetes) from progressing to full-blown type 2 diabetes.
To test for anti-diabetic effects of pistachios, the team put a group of 54 people with prediabetes on a calorie-controlled Mediterranean diet for eight months. For half of this period, the participants also consumed 57g of pistachios (around 60 nuts) each day.
While no changes in body weight were reported, blood tests showed that levels of glucose and insulin in the blood, as well as ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, decreased following the addition of pistachios to the diet – effects which can help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.
Presenting the findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria, Mònica Bulló, one of the study’s authors, said pistachios are rich in various health-boosting nutrients such as unsaturated fats, fibre, antioxidants and carotenoids, which are likely to combine to make it easier to for the body to process sugar in food.
She advised people to eat more nuts – preferably a handful every day or when possible – to improve general health.