In an effort to reduce the possibility of heart disease for diabetics, doctors often place diabetics on low-fat diets. This is not particularly effective, however, because most diabetics generally have normal levels of serum and LDL cholesterol. They typically have low, or extremely low levels of HDL cholesterol, which can mean the patient is susceptible to heart disease. When diabetics reduce overall fat levels in their diets, they might be increasing, rather than decreasing, their risk of heart disease, since very low-fat diets have been associated with reducing beneficial HDL cholesterol. According to Clarie Hollenbeck, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition and Food Science, San Jose State University, a better approach for diabetics could be to reduce saturated fat in the diet by replacing it with a unsaturated fats.
Nuts are, of course, an excellent sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Preventing Cancer With Better Nutrition Cancers are the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and diet is believed to play a part in their development. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating fewer animal proteins and fats, increasing fiber in the diet, and eating more fruits and vegetables are thought to decrease the development of many types of cancers. We know that dietary fiber is effective at reducing colon and rectal cancers. Nuts are an excellent source of fiber, particularly when consumed with the skins on. We know that nuts contain many phytochemicals, which have been shown to be effective in cancer prevention.