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A Portion of Your Purchase Fights Diabetes!

Monounsaturated fatty Acids (MUFA), omega-3 fatty acids – how do they rate?

Being diagnosed with Diabetes can be frightening; in just a few minutes, your whole world changes. You’re handed so much information and processing it can be overwhelming. The biggest thing you are going to have to do is change your diet.

Eating healthy is just plain good for you; there are so many different foods that you should and should not eat, it can be confusing when you first decide to switch to a low GI diet. The thing to remember is balance. There is healthier “good” fat and unhealthy “bad” fat.

According to a study that appeared in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association, a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFA) may help reduce abdominal fat better than a carbohydrate rich diet.

When test subjects ate a carbohydrate-enriched diet, they tended to accumulate fat in the abdomen. When they ate a diet that had more MUFA, abdominal fat concentration decreased, even without exercise.

Monounsaturated fatty acids are a ‘good fat’; they are plant-based fats that are found in some of the world’s most delectable foods:

  • * Avocado
  • * Nuts and seeds
  • * Oils- olive, safflower, peanut oil…
  • * Olives
  • * Dark chocolate

Many studies show that these good-for-you fats enhance heart health and protect against chronic disease. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that fat make up no more than 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Consuming monounsaturated fatty acids may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving associated risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. And some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another type of ‘good’ fat; they are poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Studies show that a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help lower triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Omega 3 fatty acids may also act as an anticoagulant to prevent blood from clotting. Several other studies also suggest that these fatty acids may help lower high blood pressure.

The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

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