According to Canadian researchers, eating almonds may improve blood sugar levels and eliminate spikes in sugar levels after eating.
To study the effects of the nut on blood sugar levels, researchers looked at the effects of five meals on blood glucose, insulin and antioxidant levels of 15 healthy volunteers.
The meals were; two control meals with white bread, test meal with white bread and 60 grams of almonds, test meal with rice and test meal with instant mashed potatoes.
Lead researcher, David Jenkins found that the glycaemic indices, a measure of blood sugar elevations, for the rice and almond meals were significantly less than for the potato meal (38 and 55 versus 94 percent). These findings suggest almonds may help stabilize blood sugar levels after meals.
Almonds are an important source of antioxidants and other nutrients and have been found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
To get the maximum benefit from almonds, look for those that are raw or dry roasted and skip the salt. Eat them whole as a snack, add sliced almonds to yogurt or slivered almonds to cereal.
These latest findings can be found in the Journal of Nutrition.
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