Going Nuts for Peanuts

This study, "Acute and second-meal effects of peanuts on glycemic response and appetite in obese women with high type 2 diabetes risk: a randomized cross-over clinical trial," was conducted jointly by Purdue University and the Federal University of Vicosa in Brazil. Such a long-distance collaboration couldn't have happened just a few years ago. It was published in the June 2013 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition. The study not only showed reduced blood glucose levels, but also reduced appetite and food consumption for most of the day in people who ate peanuts or peanut butter. This was based on levels of satiety (fullness) hormones as well as self-reports by the subjects and actual food logs. Not only glucose levels, but nonessential fatty acid levels were lower in the people that ate peanuts or peanut butter. The level of the hormone GLP-1, was higher in the peanut butter group, which is very good news. GLP-1 is the hormone that drugs like exenatide (brand name Byetta) try to mimic. It stimulates insulin production, lowers insulin resistance, and decreases appetite. I knew nuts were good for diabetes, but not this good! On the down side, the subjects did not have diabetes. They were "obese women at high risk for Type 2 diabetes." So we don't know yet how much benefit peanuts will give people who already have Type 2. Also, the study was quite small, with only 15 subjects. I'm hoping there will be larger studies, but I'm not holding my breath. There's not a ton of ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs