Diabetic? Forget pills, pop almonds May 24, 2011, 12.00am IST Tags: • diabetes AsIndiagrapples with a major public health problem, being home to an estimated 50.8 million diabetic population, the largest in the world, experts say "consuming a few almonds daily can help combat the lifestyle disease.""ating almonds !as a positie e##ect on r ed$cing lo% density c!olesterol and also improes ins$lin sensitiity& so it does !elp in p$s!ing diabetesa%ay," says 'ites! ($pta, !ead o# clinical operation at Fortis )*Doc +ospital. "It is a !ealt!y so$rce o# #ibre, protein and calories and !as been #o$nd to !ae a positie e##ect in red$cing bad c!olesterol and improed ins$lin sensitiity," ($pta told. Diabetes is ca$sed %!en t!ere is de#iciency o# ins$lin !ormone, %!ic! controls blood s$gar leel. Its symptoms incl$de #atig$e, ecessie t!irst and #re-$ent $rination. "it! an estimated /0.million people liing %it! t!e disease, India !as t!e %orlds largest pop$lation o# diabetics in t!e %orld, #ollo%ed by )!ina%it! 4.2 million," says t!eorld +ealt! 3rganisation+35. T!e n$mber in India is epected to go $p to 6 million * .4 per cent o# t!e co$ntrys ad$lt pop$lation * by 200. it! India staring at a ma7 or p$blic !ealt! t!reat d$e t o diabetes and ot!er li#e style diseases, almond is no% being !ailed as t!e !ealt! n$t. "Indians are more prone to l i#estyle diseases li8e diabetes. T!e increasingly sedentary li#estyle and #ast #ood do$ble $p t!e ris8. 9lmond, %!ic! !as traditionally been part o# o$r diet, is a !ig! so$rce o# n$trition and !elps p$s! t!ese diseases a%ay," says 9noop Misra, director o# Diabetes Fo$ndation India5. "9 !and#$l o# almonds contain 1:4 calories and 6 gm o# protein, %!ic! !elps in #ig!ting !$nger pangs and !elps yo$ control %!at yo$ eat. 9lmonds also !elp gro%ing c!ildren in deeloping strong bones," !e adds. 9 st$dy done by sc!olars #rom t!e ;niersity o# Medic ine and Dentistry o# <e% =ersey,est )!ester ;niersity, >ennsylania, and oma inda ;niersity o# )ali#ornia,all in t!e ;S, and p$blis!ed in t!e ournal of the Americ an !ollege of utritionalso con#irms t!at t!e n$t can control diabetes i# cons$med reg$larly. "9 diet consisting o# 20 per cent o# calories as almonds oer a 1:*%ee8 period is e##ectie in improing mar8ers o# ins$lin sensitiity and yields clinically signi#icant improements in D*) lo% density lipoprotein c!olesterol5 in ad$lts %it! pre*diabetes," t!e st$dy said.
