Like their friendly cousins, the polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), MUFAs are best known for their ability to decrease blood cholesterol levels if part of a healthful diet. They have also been found to contribute to glycemic control, helping to keep blood sugar stable. In addition, foods containing MUFAs also contain a spectrum of diabetes-beating and heart-helping phytonutrients such as phenols, beta-sitosterol, and lutein.
Monounsaturated Fats and Diabetes. A recent study conducted at the University of Kuopio, Finland, examined the relationship between fatty acids in the blood and glucose metabolism. After a three-week, high-saturated-fat diet, thirty-one subjects with impaired glucose tolerance were put on a “mono” (primarily monounsaturated fats) or “poly” (primarily polyunsaturated fats) diet for eight weeks. The study found that those subjects with higher amounts of oleic acid – a monounsaturated fat from olive oil – and alpha-linolenic acid – an omega-3 fatty acid- had the most improvement in fasting plasma glucose.
Evidence from the Mediterranean diet also supports this research showing that consumption of MUFA-rich olive oil helps to reduce inflammatory processes and risk for heart disease.
A great kitchen prescription:
Stock your kitchen with nuts, olive oil, and avocados to get the benefits of health-promoting MUFAs. Trade in your chips and pretzels for a MUFA-rich snack mix including popcorn popped in canola oil and raw almonds.
HEALING GOURMET EAT TO BEAT DIABETES
