Want to control your blood sugar and diabetes? Add peanuts to your daily diet
If you are borderline diabetic or diabetic, foods that can help control blood sugar levels and provide plenty of fibre, protein, and vitamins and minerals, are good snack options for you. You may want to seek snacking options that have a lower Glycemic Index.
Across the world, peanut butter is a popular spread that people use in many meals and snacks. In Indian meals, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat, peanuts are added in various forms to several dishes. It contains no cholesterol and is a nutritious option packed with protein and healthful fats.
Although not technically a nut (peanuts belong to the legume family) and are less water-intensive to grow as they grow underground. Peanuts naturally contain protein, fats, and fibre. This cost-effective type of nuts also contains a type of fat known as unsaturated fat, which health experts generally consider an important part of a balanced diet in moderation.
Peanut butter contains two types of unsaturated fat:
Monounsaturated fat: According to the American Diabetes Association,
monounsaturated fats may reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol levels (high LDL cholesterol increases the risk of heart
disease and stroke).
Polyunsaturated fat: These fats may also help reduce LDL cholesterol
levels in a person’s body. Additionally, peanut butter itself does not
contain any cholesterol.
Strategic snacking between meals is one of the best ways to promote appetite management, improve daily nutrition intake and manage energy levels, which strongly correlate with blood sugar levels. Pairing certain foods and nutrients can help stabilize blood sugar, leading to steady energy levels, rather than distracting highs and lows. This is where peanuts come in.
Peanut's rather low Glycemic Index:
Glycemic index is a value used to quantify the amount that a given food
raises blood sugar levels. The values range from 0-100, with lower
values indicating less robust blood sugar responses and higher values
indicating a significant increase in blood sugar. If the GI of corn
flakes is 81, peanuts measure a low 14, which means they can help
prevent spikes in blood sugar and contribute to a slower and steadier
increase in energy.
Recently, research has shown that the consumption of peanuts and peanut butter helps stabilise blood sugar and in turn, prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes for those with prediabetes.
Studies that support peanuts' case:
A study published in 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical
Association found that women who consumed peanut butter five times a
week reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 21 per cent.
In 2019, the Journal of American Nutrition published research that
showed how the inclusion of peanut butter with a meal with a high
glycemic load affected blood sugar levels at a slower pace.
Peanuts have more protein per serving than half a cup of chickpeas. When eating a meal or snack high in carbohydrate or with a high ability to raise your blood sugar, simultaneously consuming foods rich in protein or unsaturated fat adds balance to your blood sugar. Peanuts also contain 19 micronutrients, including niacin, vitamin E and manganese, which function as antioxidants and contribute to overall health.
Peanuts also contain an antioxidant called resveratrol, which is found in grapes and red wine. This antioxidant can open blood vessels and improve blood flow.
Not fattening at all:
For decades, this "superfood" has been perceived as fattening. Those who
love peanuts, cringe with guilt every time they give in to the craving.
Consumption in moderate amounts has been shown to have no effect on
body weight and might even help the body burn more energy.
This snacking staple is an excellent source of niacin, an important B vitamin that helps to convert food to energy, as well as manganese which is important for processing cholesterol. Now you can indulge in this food item without guilt.
A word of caution:
Before you add any bit of peanut to your food, please be sure you are
not allergic to peanuts. Your doctor should be the first person to help
you decide that.