ISLAMABAD, Nov 30 (ABC): Two new studies suggest that a small daily serving of nuts may benefit overall metabolic health and keep off the weight we tend to gain as we enter adulthood.
Share on PinterestA daily serving of nuts may prevent weight gain and improve metabolic health in the long run, two new studies suggest.
From providing cardiovascular benefits to potentially improving fertility, and even boosting memory and intelligence, the health benefits of nuts are numerous — and no wonder.
Nuts are packed with unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, protein, and other beneficial chemicals, which may all contribute to good health.
However, can nuts aid weight loss? Are certain types of nuts better able to support good metabolism?
Two new studies delved deeper into these questions. The authors will present the findings at Scientific Sessions 2018Trusted Source, a conference to be held by the American Heart Association (AHA) in Chicago, IL.
The first study — led by Xiaoran Liu, Ph.D., a research associate in the nutrition department of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA — looked at the long-term effects of nuts and peanuts on body weight.
The second study examined the effects of Brazil nuts on satiety, blood sugar, and insulin response.
It was supervised by Mee Young Hong, Ph.D., a registered dietician and a professor in the School of Exercise & Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University in California.
Nuts prevent weight gain in adulthood
The first study explored nut consumption in:
- 25,394 healthy men who had taken part in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study
- 53,541 women who had participated in the Nurses’ Health Study
- 47,255 women who had taken part in the Nurses’ Health Study II
The three groups had filled in food frequency questionnaires once every 4 years.
The researchers discovered that replacing foods that had less nutritional value with a 1-ounce serving of nuts and peanuts lowered the risk of weight gain and obesity over the 4-year follow-up intervals.
More specifically, replacing a serving of red meat, processed meat, french fries, desserts, or potato chips with a serving of nuts correlated with significantly less weight gain in the long run.
The study’s first author comments on the findings, saying, “People often see nuts as food items high in fat and calories, so they hesitate to consider them as healthy snacks, but they are in fact associated with less weight gain and wellness.”
“Once people reach adulthood, they start to gradually gain about 1 pound a year of weight, which seems small. But if you consider gaining one pound over 20 years, it accumulates to a lot of weight gain,” Liu notes.
“Adding 1 ounce of nuts to your diet in place of less healthy foods — such as red or processed meat, french fries or sugary snacks — may help prevent that slow, gradual weight gain after you enter adulthood and reduce the risk of obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.”
Xiaoran Liu, Ph.D.