Eating almonds can help you shed off weight, new study says
Going nuts over losing weight is a usual dilemma, but a new study shows almonds can pave the way to a healthier you.
This debunks the myth that nuts can’t be part of your weight loss journey due to their high fat content. A recent study from the University of South Australia reveals that almonds can be your secret weapon to shedding extra pounds.
In the largest research of its kind, scientists found that incorporating almonds in an energy-restricted diet not only aids in losing weight but can also do wonders for cardiometabolic health.
In the study, the scientists compared energy-based diets supplemented with Californian almonds versus carb-loaded diets. They found that both plans successfully led to a weight loss of about seven kilograms—that’s 15.4 pounds of melted fats, FYI.
Eating Almonds for Weight Loss? Groundbreaking New Study Reveals the Truth | https://t.co/DBOJeA0rRt
— SciTechDaily (@SciTechDaily1) October 23, 2023
With over 1.9 billion adults worldwide being overweight and 650 million dealing with obesity, this new study is a welcome bit of knowledge towards healthier snacking options.
The nutty revelation
Dr. Sharayah Carter, one of the researchers, says, “Nuts contain unsaturated fats—or healthy fats— which can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, and contribute to a healthy heart.”
“In this study, we examined the effects of an almond-supplemented diet with a nut-free diet to identify any influence on weight and cardiometabolic outcomes.
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“Both the nut and nut-free diets resulted in approximately 9.3 percent reduction in body weight over the trial,” she noted.
In addition, “almond-supplemented diets also demonstrated statistically significant changes in some highly atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions, which may lead to improved cardiometabolic health in the longer term.”
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The study, funded by the Almond Board of California, gathered 106 participants for a nine-month eating program. Each of them embarked on a three-month energy-restricted diet followed by a six-month energy-controlled diet.
During both diets, 15 percent of the participants’ energy intake includes unsalted whole almonds with skins for their nut diet. While for their nut-free diet, they consumed 15 percent carbohydrate-rich snacks like baked cereal bars or rice crackers.
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The bottom line? This new study offers solid evidence that dietitians can recommend almonds as part of a balanced weight-loss program.
How to eat almonds
If you feel that eating them on their own is boring, here are some ways to incorporate these powerhouses into your food.
- Grind them and use them as coating for baked or fried fish
- Use them as toppings to your salads, oatmeal, or yogurt
- Add them to your trail mix
But before adding almonds to your diet, make sure you’re free from any nut allergy.
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