13) TYPE 2 DIABETES SUPPLEMENTS
f) Nuts and Phytosterols
Nuts have many benefits to health. They have high levels of fiber, complex carbohydrates, plant protein and several other beneficial ingredients. Some nuts have somewhat high levels of the very beneficial plant omega 3 fatty oil. Walnuts (7% of the oil content), cashews (8% of the oil content) and flaxseed (23% of the oil content) have the highest amounts of the plant omega 3 fatty oil. Unfortunately roasting removes the omega 3 oil. Also unfortunately nuts have huge amounts of calories. Anything more than one handful is too much and who can stop at just one handful of nuts. Frequent ingestion of nuts can reduce the risk of heart attacks by half. But someone who is seriously trying to lose weight needs to avoid nuts.
From the Harvard Nurses study:
"Subjects who consumed nuts frequently (more than four times per week) experienced substantially fewer definite fatal coronary heart disease events (relative risk, 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36 to 0.76) and definite nonfatal myocardial infarctions (relative risk, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.85), when compared with those who consumed nuts less than once per week. These findings persisted on covariate adjustment and were seen in almost all of 16 different subgroups of the population."
There is another beneficial fatty oil ingredient in nuts, especially cashews and pistachios; this is phytosterols or plant sterols. These sterols seem to have very favorable effects on heart disease by having a significant effect on blood cholesterol levels. Phytosterols have very complex chemical structures that are almost identical to the structure of cholesterol. Cholesterol is absorbed by the small intestine in very specific sites. It is thought that the plant sterols attach to these sites but the body can't absorb them as well as cholesterol, so the cholesterol is blocked from being absorbed into the body by the phytosterols.
"Tall Oil"–Derived Phytosterols Reduce Atherosclerosis in ApoE-Deficient Mice, M. H. Moghadasian, et al, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1997;17:119-126.
"We investigated the effects of a "tall oil"-derived phytosterol mixture (TODPM) on the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-deficient mice. TODPM was added at 2% (wt/wt) to the chow of nine mice; the control group had six animals. The diet of all animals contained 9% (wt/wt) fat and 0.15% (wt/wt) cholesterol. After 4 weeks, plasma total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the TODPM-treated mice (26.6 versus 42.0 mmol/L, P<.0001). The mean body weight of the TODPM-supplemented group was significantly higher at week 5 and throughout the study (29.4 versus 27.7 g, P<.05). The experiment was terminated at 18 weeks. Histological examination showed mature atherosclerotic lesions composed of foam cells underlying the endothelium, a mosaic of extracellular glycosaminoglycans, numerous apparently proliferative smooth muscle cells, and foci of cholesterol clefts in the control animals. By contrast, the TODPM-treated mice showed only early lesions containing mainly superficial foam cells. As assessed by morphometry, the lesion area in the aortic sinuses of TODPM-treated animals was less than half that of control animals (P<.0001). This reduced lesion area was accompanied by a substantial reduction in all lesional components, reflecting a delay in progression of atheromatous changes. A strong positive correlation (r=.69, P<.01) was found between plasma total cholesterol levels and lesion area in the aortic sinuses. TODPM also prevented the occurrence of xanthomatosis. We conclude that supplementation of a cholesterol-enriched diet with TODPM significantly lowers plasma cholesterol and retards development of arteriosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice, suggesting a therapeutic potential for the mixture of phytosterols studied."
"In addition to being included in foods, stanol is also available as capsules. In clinical studies, participants with normal or high cholesterol -- including children less than 2 years of age -- took stanol doses ranging from 800 mg to 4000 mg daily. The results from the higher doses, however, were no better than doses of about 2000 mg per day for adults or about 1500 mg per day for children. Clinical study results appear to show that either stanol-fortified foods or stanol capsules have the same general effectiveness for lowering cholesterol.
Neither the time of day that doses are taken nor the number of doses per day seems to have any significant bearing on stanol's effects. In studies, individuals who took one large dose per day were equally as likely to show beneficial changes in cholesterol levels as those who took smaller amounts of stanol two or three times a day. About 8 out of 10 study participants showed a response to stanol, with an average 10% to 15% reduction in cholesterol from stanol alone. By comparison, diet changes typically lower cholesterol levels by about 10%; statin-type drugs generally lower LDL cholesterol by 20% to 45%."
Unfortunately the phytosterol amount in nuts is small and offset completely by the amount of calories. Phytosterol fats are used in SOME butter substitutes. "Benecol™" and "Take Control Promis™" both have plant sterols. Many other "heart wise" butter substitutes (regular Smart Balance™ and regular Promise™) only substitute unsaturated fats for saturated fats, better than butter or margerine but not as good as the phytosterol spreads.
Phytosterols in milligrams per 100 gms (100 grams is a lot of nuts and a lot of calories in nuts!)
Almonds....... 120
Cashews....... 158
Pecans........ 102
Pistachios...... 214
Walnuts....... 72
Flax Seeds ....... 0
Benecol™........ 6,000
Take Control™ (now "Promis™")....... 12,070
One research study showed that Benecol™ reduced LDL cholesterol by 14% while Take Control™ reduced LDL by 7% (they contain different phytosterols). Both products contain "partially hydrogenated soybean oil" which isn't good for you, but the amount of hydrogenated oil is less than half a gram per 14 gram tablespoon, making the products heart healthy overall. Obviously it's probably a good idea to have some Benecol™ or Take Control™ on your vegetables and whole grain bread on a regular basis, preferably in the evening meal, IF YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT. People are people and we all tend to take a large scoop of butter out of the tub for our vegetables, far more than is beneficial. Two level tablespoons per day will provide 2000 mg per day of phytosterols, the amount recommended by experts. But it is very important to measure the amount of these foods that you eat and to keep the total calories low. Oils which are good for the heart become oils which are bad for the heart if they prevent a person with type 2 diabetes from losing weight. Two level tablespoons of Take Control™ is 5 grams of fat or only 45 calories, not a lot. Twenty of these calories are phytosterols which typically aren't absorbed by the body. These phytosterols are also now being marketed in salad dressings, mayonnaise, and other foods. Note that some of the large supermarkets don't carry the phytosterol spreads.
Current Chapter: 13) TYPE 2 DIABETES SUPPLEMENTS
a) Introduction
b) The Benefits of Fish Oil
c) Issues with Fish Oil
d) Flax Seed Oil
e) Bad Omega 6 oils
f) Nuts and Phytosterols
g) Aspirin Therapy
h) Magnesium
i) Vitamins C, D and E
j) High Water Intake© Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved.