A new study conducted by researchers in Australia, published in the July 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA), has found that eating a handful of walnuts every day offers protection for the heart for people living with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found the small daily consumption of walnuts helped individuals achieve recommended intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as omega-3s), which are critical for heart protection. Intake of 30 grams (14 halves) of walnuts per day in addition to 350 g of oily fish a week enabled study participants to achieve a recommended fat profile on an energy-controlled diet.
After 6 months into the study, participants who were consuming walnuts on a daily basis were deriving nearly half of their dietary fat intake from polyunsaturated fat-rich foods. On the contrary, study participants who were only given low-fat advice were still consuming foods rich in saturated fat as the main source of fat in their diet.
The Canadian Diabetes Association estimates that over 2 million Canadians have diabetes and that over 90 percent of individuals diagnosed with the disease have type 2 diabetes.
Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, omega oils and vitamins. For further information on the nutrition of walnuts, check out the California Walnuts
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