Peanuts For Diabetes

Peanuts in diabetes are good only if eaten at the correct time and while keeping portion control in mind. Since peanuts are not nuts and are legumes they tend to be high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are quickly metabolized into glucose which gets released into the blood stream. This makes peanuts a high-glycemic food on the glycemic index.

A glycemic index is basically an index that was created to categorize food based on how quickly the body digests it and converts it into glucose. Glucose in diabetics needs to be controlled.

Therefore, there is the emphasis on foods that are not quickly converted into glucose. High-glycemic foods are usually refined foods, sugar and most carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits are generally low glycemic foods. This does not hold true for some fruits and vegetables or even beans which tend to be high on carbohydrates.
Often while talking about healthy food for diabetics, nuts are included. This list usually does not include peanuts and cashews, both of which make for a high count on carbohydrates. If you are deciding to include peanuts, as a diabetic, in your diet, you should include it like a garnish. A garnish over salads, curries, soups or even over cereal or oatmeal.

Nut butter is also very popular. Peanut butter, though extremely popular, also contains some sugar. So if you would like to eat some peanut butter, it would help if you could make it at home and control the ingredients that go into it. Nut butters also tend to be high in fat but are not high in cholesterol, which regular pasteurized butter tends to be. Therefore, nut butter makes a great substitute but again, only in moderation and limited intake. Since diabetes is such a rapidly spreading condition, there is constant research to evaluate methods of measuring and what can and cannot help people suffering from diabetes. Diabetes is generally of two types; type 1 where the body does not produce insulin and is therefore unable to control the body glucose and, type 2 where the body does not produce enough insulin or becomes insulin resistant. Type 2 is the kind where food monitoring and weight loss can make a big difference to blood glucose levels.

Research today shows that including a small amount of peanuts in your diet could actually prevent diabetes or at least reduces your chances. It makes your body responsive to lower GI or glycemic index food while bringing down triglycerides and raising HDL or good cholesterol. Peanuts can also be included into your healthy diet plan in the form of peanut oil. That way it becomes easy to apportion out your fat and at the same time, include the goodness of peanuts.

Basic Information On Peanuts:

Peanuts, though called nuts, are actually legumes and are quite fatty. They belong to the bean family Fabaceae. Peanuts also have different names in different cultures like ground nuts, earth nuts and even monkey nuts. These nuts are high in protein and fat. It contains polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fat and is highest in monounsaturated fat. It contains many nutrients like different proteins including tryptophan, leucine, methionine, valine, glutamic acid and many more. These nuts also contain high quantities of minerals like folate, calcium, iron phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It is also one of the most popular allergy ingredients in the world. Peanuts are usually banished from diets because of their high carbohydrate and fat content. Nowadays peanuts have been making somewhat of a comeback in diets because though rich in fat; it is rich in monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is good fat which adds to your health and betters metabolism. Peanuts also contain beta-sitosterol, which is known to have cancer inhibiting properties.

Submitted on January 16, 2014