Nuts Can Help You Lose Weight And Protect Your Heart

Nuts can help you lose weight and protect your heart

Consuming nuts every day can prevent weight gain and are beneficial for the cardiovascular system, according to two new studies presented at the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

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The first study, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, examined the long-term effects of nut consumption on body weight. Its participants were American medical professionals who were free of chronic diseases at the time of the beginning of the research.

Nut consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire completed every four years by participants in three different studies (25,394 medical men, 53,541 female nurses and 47,255 female nurses).

The researchers drew the following conclusions:

Eating a daily serving of any nuts (about 30 grams of whole nuts or two tablespoons of nut butter) is associated with a lower risk of weight gain or obesity over four-year intervals.

Replacing one serving of low nutritional value foods (red meat / processed meat / french fries / desserts / potato chips) with any type of nut is associated with less weight gain over four-year intervals.

“People often think of nuts as high in fat and calories, so they hesitate to think of them as healthy snacks, but they are actually linked to reduced weight gain and better health,” said study first author Xiaoran Liu., Ph.D.

In adulthood, people gain about 0.5 kg in weight annually. It would seem quite a bit, but after 20 years a person becomes heavier by at least 10 kg. Adding 30 grams of nuts to your diet instead of less healthy foods will help prevent slow, gradual weight gain, and reduce the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The second study was conducted by researchers at the University of San Diego (San Diego State University) in 2017. It involved 22 healthy adults (20 women and 2 men) aged 20 and older with an average BMI of 22.3. They consumed either 36 g of pretzels or 20 g of Brazil nuts (about 5 pieces) in addition to their regular diet. Brazil nuts and pretzels had about the same calorie and salt content.

The research results showed:

Both Brazil nuts and pretzels significantly increased satiety and decreased hunger; in the group consuming Brazil nuts, the feeling of fullness was prolonged.

Consuming pretzels, unlike Brazil nuts, caused significant increases in blood glucose and insulin levels 40 minutes after they were eaten.

“Our project allows researchers and clinicians to look at the potentially beneficial role of Brazil nuts in helping people feel full and maintain healthy glucose levels while reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes,” said study lead author Professor Mee Young Hong.