Nut and Peanut Butter Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women

Abstract

Most of the abundant fatty acids in nuts are unsaturated and as such may benefit glucose/ insulin homeostasis. A high intake of polyunsaturated fat has been linked with a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes. This relationshiphas now been examined in a prospective study of women taking part in the Nurses' Health Study. The cohort included 83,818 women from 11 states, ranging in age from 34 to 59 years. They had no history of diabetes at entry, and they have been followed up for 16 years. Analyzing the 3206 new cases of type 2 diabetes, the risk was inversely correlated with nut consumption as reflected by a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. This relationship held after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, and total energy intake. The relative risk of type 2 diabetes declined as nut consumption increased, and adjusting for the intake of dietary fat and cereal fiber did not substantially alter the findings. The same result was observed after controlling for glycemic load; multivitamin use; the intake of fruits, vegetables, and fish; and other potential diabetes risk factors. The relative risk based on an updated analysis was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.59-0.97). Frequent consumption of peanut butter also correlated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes; the multivariate relative risk was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.68-0.91). Eating both nuts and peanut butter was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in this large, prospective cohort study of women 30 to 55 years of age. By substituting nuts for refined grain products or red or processed meats, the benefits of eating nuts may be realized without increasing total caloric intake.