Pecans and Diabetes

Pecans are high-calorie nuts packed with loads of nutrients, with fats being among the most dominant. A cup of chopped pecans offers a whopping 78.5 g of fat, alongside a staggering 753 cal. While this amount of fat may seem ridiculous and threatening to a diabetic’s health, reports indicate that most are monounsaturated (57%), which have impressive cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Although these nuts have a relatively high carb content of 15.2 g, their high dietary fiber content of 10.5 g may help offset the associated high blood sugar effect of carbs. Additionally, pecans have a low glycemic index (GI) of 10 and are rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which reduces high blood pressure — a prevalent type 2 diabetes complication.

It’s clear that pecans are rich in various nutrients to improve a person’s overall health. Yet, what effects make them particularly beneficial for people with diabetes? Let’s have a look at some of its research-backed benefits in overall diabetes management.

Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is undoubtedly one of the most severe type 2 diabetes complications. Thankfully, research probing the anti-diabetic effect of nuts unearths their protecting functions against CVD and mortality from type 2 diabetes.

In one four-week randomized controlled trial that compares the effects of a pecan-rich diet with an isocaloric diet (with similar total fat and fiber content but devoid of nuts), the former yielded considerably greater changes in beta-cell function, insulin resistance, and serum insulin levels. In addition, pecan consumption minimized cardiometabolic disease risk.

Improved Glycemic Control

The maintenance of optimal blood sugar levels is key to adequate diabetes management. While the importance of antidiabetic drugs cannot be debated, supplementing with healthy nuts like pecans may help make this task a breeze.

Research on tree nuts (e.g., pecans) links their consumption to reduced diabetes risk. More importantly, their regular intake may help you attain better glycemic control. Namely, they help reduce your glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose levels. However, there may be a need for further research on the suitability of tree nuts as a substitute for high GI-carb meals since most existing research have a pretty short duration.

For those living with diabetes, the high-calorie content of pecans means you may have to exercise regularly if you’re bent on choosing them as a favorite snack. This is because high-calorie intake is associated with a worsened beta-cell function and insulin resistance in Hispanic women with a history of gestational diabetes and at a heightened risk for type 2 diabetes.

A 2018 Nutrients paper that examines the relationship between the intake of pecans and diabetes management suggests that incorporating just 1.5 oz of these nuts into the average American diet daily may help keep cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes at bay.

When roasted and sold as packaged treats, pecans are frequently covered in harmful oils and sugar, adding excess calories. To maximally benefit from pecan snacks, ensure you carefully examine their affixed labels. Also, it’s essential you only eat them in moderation as their excessive consumption may have far-reaching effects.

Here are some tips on how you can safely consume these delicious tree nuts:

• Use pecans as a replacement for candy
• Mix into pancake, muffin, or cookie dough
• Add to salad, oatmeal, or quinoa
• Use pecan as topping for yogurt