Although nuts are an excellent source of protein, they are also full of fats which is sometimes a deterrent for individuals wanting to lose a few pounds.
However, research reveals that almonds can be eaten while losing weight at the same time.
In a large study, researchers determined that the inclusion of almonds in an energy-restricted diet helped individuals with losing weight and cardiometabolic health was also improved.
Looking at the impact of supplementing energy-restricted diets with almonds or with snacks high in carbohydrates, it was revealed that body weight was reduced by approximately 7kg with both diets.
Over 1.9 billion individuals worldwide are overweight with 650 million obese. The study shows how nuts can complement a healthy diet for the management of weight and cardiometabolic health.
Nuts such as almonds are excellent for snacking. They’re high in fiber, protein, and full of minerals and vitamins, but they are also high in fat which can be associated with an increase in body weight.
Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats which can help ease inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, and promote a healthy heart.
The researchers looked at a diet supplemented with almonds as well as a diet without nuts to determine any impact on weight and cardiometabolic health. The nut as well as the nut-free diets led to about a 9.3% weight reduction during the study.
However, the diets supplemented with almonds also exhibited statistically significant atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions changes, which could result in cardiometabolic health improvements in the long term.
Also, nuts have the additional benefit of providing a feeling of fullness for longer, a bonus when attempting to manage weight.
The study saw 106 individuals complete a 9-month eating program that consisted of a 3-month energy-restricted weight loss diet, then a 6-month energy-controlled weight maintenance diet.
In both stages, 15% of energy consumption for the nut diet comprised of unsalted almonds or 15% of energy consumption for the nut-free diet comprised of carbohydrate-rich snacks which included baked cereal bars or rice crackers.
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