The regular presence of walnuts in the diet reduces the risk of diabetes by 25%.
If you eat walnuts two to three times a week, the risk of developing type II diabetes is reduced by a quarter. This was stated by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. The scientists have long talked about the antidiabetic effect of walnuts. However, this study is the largest of its kind. It involved 137,893 American women aged 35 to 77 years and found that regular consumption of small portions of walnuts (28 g) enhanced the protective effect against the disease. The experts do not reject the possibility that walnuts have a similar effect on men.
The scientists had been observing the participants of the study for 10 years to understand which of them developed type II diabetes during this period. They followed their dietary habits and were particularly interested in their frequency of walnuts consumption. Taking into consideration the amount of adipose tissue and the women’s weight, they found that eating walnuts from one to three times per month reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes by 4%, once a week – by 13%, at least twice a week – by 24%.
According to the authors of the study, the results showed that frequent consumption of walnuts was associated with a lower risk of type II diabetes in women.
