Jun. 19, 2002 (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Could a diet chock full of nuts reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? New research presented this week at the Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association shows that may be the case.

Researchers in Boston from the Nurses’ Health Study analyzed more than 83,800 women between ages 34 and 59 in a 16-year follow-up study. The women completed a dietary questionnaire to provide information on foods they consumed, including nuts.

Nuts contain healthy components such as unsaturated fatty acids, magnesium and fiber. During the 16 years of follow-up, 3,206 new cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed.

After reviewing the questionnaires, researchers found an inverse relationship between nut consumption and the development of type 2 diabetes. This link was maintained after they adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, family history of diabetes, alcohol, and total energy intake. In women who almost never ate nuts, the relative risk was 0.93. It was 0.84 in those who consumed nuts once to four times a week and it dropped to 0.72 in those who ate nuts more than five times a week.

Researchers also took into consideration the amount of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain consumed and the results were maintained. They conclude, “Our results suggest that frequent nut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women.”

SOURCE: Reported by Ivanhoe Health Correspondent Stacie Overton at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco, June 14-18, 2002