A study has found that consuming pistachios as a premeal supplement twice a day showed significant improvements in glycemic control in prediabetic Indian adults.
The study was led by V. Mohan, chairman and chief of Diabetes Research, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) and Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, along with collaborators from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA, and Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
The 12-week clinical trial showed significant improvements in glycemic control, evidenced by reduced glycosylated haemoglobin levels and lower post-meal blood glucose levels, when participants consumed 30 grams of pistachios before breakfast and dinner. Additionally, a 10% reduction in triglycerides, along with a decrease in waist circumference and other adiposity indices, was observed in the group, according to a press release.
The study titled, ‘Effect of Premeal Pistachio Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Asian Indian Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomised Controlled Trial’, was recently published in the Journal of Nutrition. It focused on participants with prediabetes.
These findings suggest potential benefits in preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes, Dr. Mohan said. R.M. Anjana, president, MDRF, and managing director, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, noted that previous studies from the MDRF group underscored the benefits of nuts such as almonds and cashews to individuals with obesity and diabetes, while this study evaluated the health effects of pistachios on Asian Indians with prediabetes.
This study received funding support from the American Pistachio Growers, a non-profit trade association, and was registered at the Clinical Trial Registry of India, the release said.
Published – January 09, 2025 03:20 pm IST