All carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which stimulates the release of the hormone insulin in the body. Insulin removes glucose from the blood and helps cells use it for energy. However, in some cases cells become resistant to insulin and do not use it properly. This can lead to chronically high insulin and glucose levels in the blood, which can increase the risk for diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease. Evidence indicates that eating certain foods can improve insulin resistance by increasing insulin sensitivity, which allows cells to use insulin more efficiently.
Almonds
Eating an almond-rich diet might boost insulin sensitivity, according to researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Participants with pre-diabetes were randomly assigned to follow a diet with or without almonds for 16 weeks. At the end of the study, which was published in the June 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," scientists observed that the almond-rich group experienced reductions in insulin and insulin resistance, both markers of insulin sensitivity, compared to those not adhering to an almond-rich diet.
Oatmeal
Increasing whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal and 100 percent whole grain bread, might have positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Mark Pereira and colleagues from the Harvard Medical School studied the impact of whole grains on insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese patients with chronically high insulin levels. For six weeks, subjects adhered to a diet rich in whole or refined grains. At the end of the six-week study, subjects consumed a liquid mixed meal. Scientists discovered that the whole grain group improved their insulin sensitivity by having lower insulin levels after the liquid mixed meal compared to the refined group, according to findings reported in the May 2002 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Grapefruit
Researchers from the Department of Nutrition and Metabolic Research in California examined the effects of grapefruit on weight and insulin resistance in obese subjects. They found that participants eating grapefruit three times a day before meals for 12 weeks experienced weight loss and improvements in insulin resistance, according to research reported in the spring 2006 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Food."
References
- PubMed: Almond consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with prediabetes
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effect of whole grains on insulin sensitivity in overweight hyperinsulinemic adults
- PubMed: The effects of grapefruit on weight and insulin resistance: relationship to the metabolic syndrome
