More good news about peanuts and walnuts

[Guest guest]

Two interesting studies below

Mike

USDA data shows that peanuts can be mother nature's vitamin pill

December 1, 2004

ALBANY, Ga. -- A new study from The Pennsylvania State University

shows that just one serving of peanuts or peanut butter a day can

help children and adults meet requirements for nutrients often

lacking in American diets. This data from a United States Department

of Agriculture national survey of what people are eating (CSFII 1994-

96) shows that peanut butter and peanut eaters had higher intakes of

several hard-to-get nutrients compared to those who do not consume

peanuts. The paper is published in the December issue of the Journal

of the American College of Nutrition.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has discovered that

vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and

fiber, are all lacking in typical American diets. This study shows

that eating a daily serving of peanuts or peanut butter can help

children and adults meet nutrient needs. Peanut butter and peanut

eaters had increased levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, folate,

calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and dietary fiber in their diets.

What's more, peanut eaters also had leaner bodies than non-peanut

eaters.

Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, distinguished professor of nutrition,

The Pennsylvania State University, and author of the study,

says, " Including peanuts and peanut butter daily in a calorie-

balanced diet can help consumers achieve important nutrient goals

set by the US government. " For this reason, peanuts have often been

referred to as " Mother Nature's " multi-vitamin.

Vitamin E, which is hard to get from foods, is thought to help

prevent heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. One

serving of peanut butter or peanuts contains 18 and 16 percent,

respectively, of the Daily Value for vitamin E. One serving of

peanuts also contains almost 10 percent of the Recommended Daily

Allowance for folate, a nutrient important in breaking down the

amino acid homocysteine, which in high levels can lead to artery

damage and higher risk of heart attack.

Americans are currently consuming only about half of the fiber they

need each day. Fiber consumption has been linked to a reduced risk

of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A one-ounce serving of

peanuts or a two- tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains about

2 grams of fiber -- that's as much as a slice of whole-wheat bread.

So, a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread gives you six

grams of beneficial dietary fiber, compared to a deli sandwich that

provides only one or two grams. In addition, low-fat or non-fat milk

is a natural pair with a peanut butter sandwich, which may explain

why peanut butter and peanut eaters in the study had higher intakes

of calcium. Survey data shows that two-thirds of peanut butter

sandwiches are eaten with milk.

Intake of magnesium, which may be important in preventing heart

disease and type 2 diabetes, was also higher in peanut butter and

peanut eaters. This finding confirms a clinical study from Purdue

University where subjects who had low blood levels of magnesium were

able to bring them up to a normal range within eight weeks by

consuming peanuts daily. A one-ounce serving of peanuts or a two-

tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains 13 and 14 percent,

respectively, of the Daily Value for magnesium.

This study also helps to dispel the myth that higher-fat foods

automatically lead to weight gain. The peanut eaters had leaner

bodies compared to the non-peanut eaters, as measured by body mass

index (BMI), an indicator of body fatness. Peanut eaters also had

lower intakes of " bad " saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher

intakes of " good " monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.

The study was funded in part by The Peanut Institute, a non-profit

organization that supports nutrition research and develops

educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles. Learn more

about peanuts and health at http://www.peanut-institute.org .

SOURCE The Peanut Institute

top

New clinical study shows walnuts protective for people with type 2

diabetes

December 1, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A new study done in Australia shows that, for

patients with type 2 diabetes, a whole foods diet including walnuts

can reduce LDL " bad " cholesterol by 10%. Findings of this new study

are published in the December 2004 issue of Diabetes Care, a journal

of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), under the

title, " Including Walnuts in a Low Fat/Modified Fat Diet Improves

HDL Cholesterol-to-Total Cholesterol Ratios in Patients With Type 2

Diabetes. "

According to the ADA:

More than 65% of people with diabetes die from heart disease or

stroke.

There are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3% of the

population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 13 million have

been diagnosed, unfortunately, 5.2 million people (or nearly one-

third) are unaware that they have the disease.

Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

The World Health Organization reports that at least 171 million

people worldwide have diabetes and this figure is likely to more

than double by 2030 to reach 366 million.

Tapsell, Ph.D., APD, director of the National Centre of

Excellence in Functional Foods, located at the University of

Wollongong, Australia, and primary investigator for this study

says, " This is one of the first studies to look at the effect of

polyunsaturated fatty acids on diabetes management. Walnuts are an

easy and convenient way of getting polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty

acids into the diet. And they're particularly important for people

with diabetes because they're a simple snack food, which is an

integral component of managing the diet in diabetes. "

University of Wollongong Press Release:

The good oil in walnuts helps Diabetes patients

People developing Type 2 Diabetes know they need more than an apple

a day to keep the doctor away. But a handful of walnuts might help.

Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, Omega oils and vitamins.

Researchers at the University of Wollongong's Smart Foods Centre

today released the results of a study that shows how to harness the

nutritional value of walnuts, especially the " good " oils, to help

people manage their diet better in the early stages of Type 2

Diabetes Mellitus.

The research showed that including walnuts in the diet improves the

relative amounts of " good " cholesterol in this group of patients.

The research findings are in the December issue of the international

journal Diabetes Care, published in the United States.

That's good news for Australia's 1.2 million people suffering from

Diabetes, and the further two million estimated to have pre-Diabetes

and be at risk of developing the disease.

National Centre of Excellence for Functional Foods and former Smart

Foods Centre Director Professor Tapsell said the research had

demonstrated how a diet including 8-10 walnuts a day delivered the

right kinds of fats and fatty acids that might help the body address

one of the problems associated with early stage Type 2 Diabetes --

insulin resistance -- which hinders the absorption of glucose from

the bloodstream into human cells.

" We understood the relationship between insulin resistance and fatty

acids, and when we looked at the composition of walnuts we thought

that they could be useful in delivering the right kinds of fatty

acids. We knew walnuts contained substantial amounts of these fats,

so our challenge was to prove that the theoretical benefits were

real, " Professor Tapsell said.

The team of dietitians from the Smart Foods Centre and the Illawarra

Diabetes Service developed individualised diets for around 60 people

with Type 2 Diabetes for the six-month study. The diets were based

on the core food groups of cereals and breads, fruit and vegetables,

lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy products, oils, avocadoes, peanut

butter and nuts. Each diet in the treatment group included 30g of

walnuts (equivalent to around 8-10 nuts) per day.

The diets were carefully modelled to balance all the other dietary

factors such as carbohydrates, proteins, calories and fats from the

other foods to ensure the benefit was correctly attributed to the

walnuts.

" The walnuts took the guesswork out of getting the right fats into

the diet. We knew walnuts would deliver, " Professor Tapsell

said. " Thus, people with type 2 diabetes could ask their doctor or

dietitian about the benefits of including walnuts in their dietary

management. "

Professor Tapsell said the study had been important because it

confirmed the theoretical benefits of a certain food. " Food

companies need this kind of research because it assists them in

making legitimate claims about the benefits of certain foods. This

particular research finding is also useful for doctors and

dietitians when they provide advice to people on how to get good

fatty acids into their diets, " she said.

SOURCE California Walnuts