Study Reveals Benefits of Premeal Pista chio Consumption for Indian Adults wit h Prediabetes
A study led by Dr. V Mohan of Madras Diab betes Research Foundation reveals other p otential benefits in preventing the progress ion to type 2 diabetes as a result of pre mea l pistachio consumption
Chennai, 11th January, 2025: In a study l ed by Dr. V Mohan, Chairman and Chief of Diabetes Research, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Dr. Mohan’s D iabetes Specialities Centre in Chennai, r evealed several health benefits of consu ming 30g of pistachios as a premeal sup plement twice daily for prediabetic Indi an adults. The 12-week clinical trial sho wed significant improvements in glycem ic control, evidenced by reduced glycosy lated hemoglobin levels and lower post-meal blood glucose levels when particip ants consumed 30g pistachios before br eakfast and dinner. Additionally, the pist achio group experienced a 10% reductio ion in triglycerides, along with decrease s in waist circumference and other adip osity indices. These findings suggest pot ential benefits in preventing the progres sion to type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Mohan.
This first of its kind study in India, titled Effect of Premeal Pistachio Supplement ation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors a mong Asian Indian Adults with Prediabe tes: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” wa s recently published in the Journal of Nu trition and focused on participants with prediabetes. The study was led by Dr. V. Mohan along with collaborators from t he Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public H ealth, USA (Dr. Walter Willett, Dr. Frank Hu, and Dr. Shilpa N Bhupathiraju) and Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvadó from the Institut d’Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili, Uni versitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.Dr. R. M. Anjana, President of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Man aging Director of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre highlighted that In d ia has 136 million adults with predia be tes, surpassing the 101 million with diab etes. While prior studies from the MDR F group underscored the benefits of nut s like almonds and cashews for individu als with obesity and diabetes, this resea rch is the first to evaluate the health eff ects of pistachios in Asian Indians with p rediabetes. Such evaluation is the need of the hour given the higher rate of prog ression from prediabetes to diabetes an d the earlier onset of type 2 diabetes in this population compared to Western co unterparts.
Dr. Shilpa N Bhupathiraju, Assistant Pro fessor in Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & co-senior aut hor of the study explained that incorpor ating pistachios as a premeal suppleme nt reduces daily carbohydrate intake wh ile increasing consumption of protein an d healthy fats. Given that Indian diets of ten derive nearly half of the daily calorie s from refined grains like white rice, repl acing a portion of these carbohydrates with nutrient-dense pistachios, rich in protein, healthy fats, and polyphenols, can improve overall dietary quality and lower disease risk.
Mrs. Sudha Vasudevan, Senior Scientist and Head, Department of Foods, Nutriti ion and Dietetics Research (FNDR), MD RF highlighted that consuming 30g of pi stachios before breakfast and dinner no t only improved glycemic markers but al so enhanced the overall nutrient profile of Indian diets. Pistachios helped lower dietary glycemic load and boosted intak e of monounsaturated fatty acids and di etary fiber, both of which are often defi cient in Indian diets.
Dr. R. M. Anjana clarified that the study found no change in body weight. Instea hhd, pistachio consumption reduced wai st circumference, and triglyceride levels thereby addressing concerns about pist achios being high in calories. Dr. Shilpa a dded that it is, however, important to en sure that additional pistachios replace r efined grains in the diet.Ms. Ashwini, th e study’s first author and PhD Scholar, MDRF reported that urinary N-methyl-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline (MHP) levels increased by 60%, indicating strong ad herence to the pistachio diet. Elevated levels of polyphenols, including zeaxant h in, were also observed, underscoring the additional health benefits.
Summarizing the study’s impact, Dr. V. Mohan emphasized the positive effects of incorporating pistachios as a pre-me al strategy to improve blood glucose ma rkers, reduce cardiometabolic risk facto rs, and enhance overall dietary quality. Pistachios, rich in plant proteins and hea lthy fats, effectively lowered carbohydr ate intake and glycemic load. Dr. Mohan recommended incorporating more plan t-based
proteins into diets, while noting that th ese findings mainly apply to Asian India n adults with prediabetes.
This study received funding support fro m the American Pistachio Growers a no n-profit trade association and was regist ered at Clinical trial registry of India-CTRI/2020/11/029340.
About MDRF:The Madras Diabetes Res earch Foundation (MDRF) is a renowned research institute located in Chennai, In dia. It is dedicated to conducting scienti ific research on diabetes and related co mplications. The foundation was establ ied in 1996 by Dr. V. Mohan, a leading di abetologist in India. MDRF’s primary fo cus is on understanding the causes, prev ention, and management of diabetes, as well as its associated complications. The research conducted at MDRF encompa sses various aspects of diabetes, includ ing epidemiology, genetics, clinical mana gement, foods and nutrition and public health. MDRF plays a crucial role in adv ancing knowledge about diabetes, impr oving patient care, and combating the growing burden of diabetes in India and beyond.
About Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centres Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Centre is a one-of-a-kind diabetes speciality chai n founded in the year 1991 headquarte ejj NJN rteed in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is India’s leading diabetes care provider offering comprehensive services for dia betes patients. Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Sp ecialties Centres has 50 Diabetes centr esy and clinics in India and over 8 lakh p atients with diabetes have been registe red tered at these centres and more tha n 5.5 million consultations have been co mpleted till date. The Gopalapuram (Ch ennai) centre is the flagship hospital. Th ,e centre specializes in Total Diabetes C are, Diabetes Eye Care, Diabetes Foot Care services, Diabetes Cardiac Care, Di abetes Dental Care, Preventive Care, Di et counselling and Precision Diabetes ca6 re.
Appointments can be booked by calling 86939110000 or visit: www.drmohans.com.
