WALNUTS MAY OFFER CARDIOVASCULAR PROTECTION FOR DIABETICS

A handful of walnuts a day may improve endothelial function in blood vessels and help control cholesterol levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Endothelial cells line the walls of blood vessels and help in the control of blood pressure by dilating and contracting as needed to accommodate changes in blood flow.

In a small study presented at the American College of Preventive Medicine conference in February 2010, researchers found that test subjects with type 2 diabetes who consumed 56 grams (about two ounces) of walnuts per day achieved significant improvement in flow-mediated dilation compared to diabetes patients who didn’t have the walnut supplementation. (Flow-mediated dilation is the dilation or expansion of a blood vessel when blood flow increases.)

Those who ate walnuts saw slightly better reductions in their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, compared to those without walnut supplementation.

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