Getting Nutty for Weight Loss?
It’s true! Eating tree nuts for the sole purpose of losing weight does in fact work according to fascinating recent data published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences in May 2014.
This study took 100 obese (BMI>25) women and divided them into two groups, one given 50g of almonds daily, while the other had no almonds. Both groups had exactly the same caloric content otherwise. The study lasted 3 months.
The results were staggering with the almond-consuming group losing twice as much weight and had greater reduction in hip-to-waist ratio than almond-free group.
Reductions in total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and diastolic blood pressure were also seen. All great things for your health!
This is one of many studies that proves eating tree nuts has many health benefits, including maintenance of healthy weight and improved metabolism.
Almonds are packed full of powerful, high-dense micronutrients like magnesium, calcium, copper, B-vitamins, and vitamin E that is necessary for a humming metabolism. They are also a great source of fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fats.
You might be asking whether these health benefits of almonds carry over to other tree nuts like pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts. The answer is yes.
Many of the above nutty examples do in fact have similar macronutrient ratios and will boost metabolism in a similar fashion.
You also might be wondering if peanuts are included in the above discussion. Answer: NO. Peanuts do NOT grow on a tree, but are the seeds of plants of the legume family, similar to peas or beans.
Also of note is the above study used RAW nuts. Health benefits are lost if candied or salted, or seasoned. Roasted is likely okay.
Thanks for reading…
Until next time, Stay Healthy My Friends!
Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. “The effect of almonds on anthropometric measurements and lipid profile in overweight and obese females in a weight reduction program: A randomized controlled clinical trial”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4116579/
