Daily raw almonds intake in Diabetes patients improved diet quality but fails to impact HbA1C, finds study

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that daily consumption of 2 ounces of raw almonds in a self-selected diet for 16 weeks were well tolerated hedonistically and enhanced diet quality without encouraging weight gain in people with increased HbA1c concentrations.

There are three primary forms of diabetes mellitus as; 

• type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which is mainly caused by a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle variables;
• gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy and frequently goes away after delivery
• type 1 diabetes, which is defined by the innate autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells.

Consuming almonds may help reduce post-prandial glycemia, according to mounting data. However, they have varying effects on HbA1c, a measure of long-term glycemic management. This study was to investigate if long-term almond intake can lower HbA1c levels in the individuals with increased HbA1c levels.

This parallel-arm, randomized, controlled study lasted 16 weeks where 81 people with high HbA1c levels (>5.7%) were randomized to include either energy-matched snacks (pretzels, C group; N=42) or two servings (2 oz) of raw almonds (A group; N=39) in their daily diets. The goal was to consume half of these intervention items for breakfast and the other half as a midmorning or midafternoon snack substitute. Body weight, plasma lipids, body composition, HbA1c, alpha and gamma-tocopherol, glycemia (as determined by a meal tolerance test), continuous glucose monitoring, dietary intake, and hedonic reactions to test meals were all measured during the intervention period.

Although the individuals who ate almonds consumed 253 kcal/d more than the ones in the control group (p=0.02), there was no discernible difference in body weight. Blood chemistry, body composition, glycemia, and HbA1c concentrations did not differ statistically significantly over time or across groups. In contrast to the control group, the Healthy Eating Index ratings of the almond group increased.

Furthermore, the almond group's hedonic assessment of almonds did not decrease when compared to the decreased preference for the pretzel snack of control group. In the almond group, alpha-tocopherol increased noticeably, whereas gamma-tocopherol mostly tended to fall by suggesting adherence to the dietary intervention. Overall, adding 2 ounces of raw almonds to the regular diet of people with high HbA1c concentrations did not lower HbA1c levels or enhance cardiovascular or glycemic indices over the short or medium term.

Source:

Huang, L.-C., Henderson, G. C., & Mattes, R. D. (2024). Effects of Daily Almond Consumption on Glycemia in Adults with Elevated Risk for Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. In British Journal of Nutrition (pp. 1–35). Cambridge University Press (CUP). https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114524001053