6 days ago
Holistic approach to type-2 diabetes management and the role of lifestyle factors
As a country, we are dining out and ordering in like never before. Convenience aside, the salty snacks and sugary desserts that get delivered to our doorstep in less than 30 minutes, come with consequences. Sheela Krishnaswamy, Wellness & Nutrition Consultant shares that an exhaustive, decade-long study published in Lancet in 2023, found that 101 million people in India are living with diabetes and another 136 million people could be living with pre-diabetes.
Some people in India are genetically predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes, which is exacerbated by lifestyle factors including lack of exercise and eating an unhealthy diet. Healthy dietary habits, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting adequate exercise, are some of the factors that can help to prevent type 2 diabetes. In most people with Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone critical for transporting blood sugar into cells) and cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar (insulin resistance). Eating a healthy diet is an important strategy to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes.
Even small changes in dietary habits can lead to significant, long-term health benefits. In India, eating almonds every day has been a time-honoured tradition. The wisdom of this practice is supported by a wealth of recent scientific studies. The latest Dietary Guidelines released by the ICMR-NIN, recommended the regular consumption of nuts like almonds as part of a balanced diet. Almonds are recognized not only as an excellent source of natural plant-based protein but also as a nutritious, healthy snack that contributes to overall well-being.
Two studie s by the National Diabetes, Obesity, and Cholesterol Foundation (NDOC), designed to ascertain the impact of simple changes to an individual's diet, found that consumption of 20 grams of almonds before each major meal benefited blood sugar control both in the short-term (over three days) and in the long term (over three months) among Asian Indians with overweight/obesity and prediabetes. The three-month intervention reversed prediabetes in nearly one-quarter of the participants.
The study results must be viewed in the context of the overwhelming array of associated risks and complications—heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, limb amputation, blindness, and nerve damage—that diabetes brings with it. More than 60% of people with pre-diabetes are likely to convert to diabetes in a span of five years. Moreover, 50% of people are unaware of their diabetic status, further increasing chances of these complications.
There's yet another pertinent reason for caution. Asian Indians—characterized by tendency for abdominal adiposity, higher waist circumference, lower BMI, and greater insulin resistance—are more prone to developing diabetes. It is also well documented that obesity increases diabetes risk. A seminal study conducted on overweight and obese Asian Indian adults found that eating 43 grams of almonds daily for 12 weeks reduced insulin resistance, improved insulin sensitivity, and helped control blood glucose levels. The people eating almonds achieved significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference over the intervention period and lowered their total cholesterol. Overtime, these changes could reduce the risk of diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases.
Rich in natural sources of some of the essential nutrients, almonds are a smart and satisfying food not only for blood glucose control but also to boost intake of key nutrients. A typical 28 grams serving has 13 grams of unsaturated fat and just 1 gram of saturated fat. They make for a good snacking choice as they are also a rich and natural source of plant protein, dietary fiber, monounsaturated (good) fat, Vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. Their daily consumption is known to decrease the intake of carbohydrate calories and even help in lowering the blood sugar impact of carbohydrate foods, which affects fasting insulin levels.
