Do nuts make you fat or help you lose weight? Dieters generally stay away from nuts. Unnecessarily, because nuts can effectively help you lose weight.

Nuts are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, vegetable protein and fiber. They provide valuable B vitamins, vitamins that protect against free radicals, such as vitamins A and E. They are also a source of minerals - the most important of them are magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc. These ingredients affect the proper metabolism and reduce the feeling of hunger, if they are supplied in the right amount. In addition, nuts contain valuable biologically active plant substances, such as polyphenols, the flavonoids of which have a scientifically proven effect that prevents the development of metabolic diseases and reduces the risk of neurological changes. The he althiest eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, recommend eating a handful of nuts a day. It is approximately 30 g. However, due to the high calorific value and fear of excess kilograms, many people refuse to do so. It turns out that it is unnecessarily.

Are nuts fattening?

"Diet energy higher, for example, by 3500 kcal (e.g. 350 kcal for 10 days) than the body's energy expenditure will increase the body fat content by an average of about 0.45 kg "- you can read in the dietetics textbook.1Such knowledge is passed on in schools and universities, but is calories really equal to calories? It turns out no! At least not with nuts.

This has been proved by scientists from various research institutions around the world. Their collected work has appeared in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The review study compared 20 different medical trials.2Observed, inter alia, the effect of nuts on weight gain. The research results turned out to be surprising. Many of them showed no or statistically insignificant weight gain.

Are peanuts or walnuts fattening?

Scientists from the University of Navarra in Spain came to similar conclusions. They added 3 handfuls of peanuts a day to the diets of the subjects. According to the formula, they shouldput on a weight of about 3.6 kg. However, as it turned out, this amount of extra calories contributed to the increase in body weight by only less than a kilogram.3

A similar discovery was made by American scientists from the School of Public He alth, Loma Linda University.4For 6 months, they studied a group of people who consumed a handful of walnuts a day. According to specialists, they should gain 5.3 kg. Meanwhile, at the end of the study, their weight showed on average only 0.4 kilograms more than at the beginning of the test, which is definitely less than expected.

In another test, US researchers at the University of California recommended that subjects consume one to two handfuls of walnuts a day. During the 6-week period, no differences in the body weight of the test subjects were noticed. The subjects then switched to a low-fat diet and additionally lost weight. After adding one to two handfuls of nuts a day, no change in the weight of the subjects was noticed.7

Can almonds contribute to weight gain?

Researchers from the aforementioned Loma Linda University, in another study that lasted 6 months, added 320 kcal extra, which came from almonds, to the daily energy balance. In this case, the weight and mathematical calorimetry equations also failed. According to forecasts, adding 40 to 50 pieces of almonds a day should increase body weight by more than 7 kilograms. It turned out that the subjects did not exceed 0.11 kg of weight gain. The change was statistically so small that it should not even be considered. This result is thought-provoking as there are hundreds of extra calories you consume on a regular basis each day.5

A study by specialists from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University (USA) also noted a slight increase in weight when almonds were included in the diet. It was five times lower than assumed. However, this study also included other changes to the menu, so it does not provide a fairly reliable view of the situation.6

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Pecans also do not lead to excess kilos

In another study, conducted at New Mexico State University (USA), 3handfuls of pecans per day, on average 450 kcal extra for the daily energy pool. According to expectations, the subjects should gain an average of 2 kg per month. It turned out, however, that they gained just over 100g of weight. If you look closely at the tables, that's 25,000 calories that have disappeared. They were certainly not stored as adipose tissue.8

The other studies were based on isocaloric diets, which means that they were designed to provide as many calories as the test person's daily requirement. In these cases, all subjects lost weight. Although in theory they should have a zero energy balance.

In the study, which is extremely interesting due to the fact that all respondents had meals with a strictly calculated caloric content, prepared in a special kitchen-laboratory. The subjects were divided into two separate groups on the same diets with the only difference that one group was given a handful of extra nuts for the menu. Both groups had the same meal composition, portion size and caloric content set at 2,400 kcal. Diets were chemically analyzed for energy. Thanks to an additional portion of nuts, it turned out that one group ended up with 100 kcal more calories per day. This time, the results shocked the scientists again. In the group with more calories, the subjects… lost weight! Which, according to the assumptions, should not happen.10

Another study where three groups provided 400 calories extra from muffins, muffins and nuts, and from nuts alone. The effects are the same as for other studies. The group consuming nuts not only did not gain weight, but in some cases the respondents even experienced a reduction.11

The above studies were more laboratory tests showing only an image over a period of several weeks or months.

Will we gain weight if we eat nuts for a long time?

You may be wondering if you will not notice a gradual increase in weight over the years of surplus? Scientists from Loma Linda University come with the answer in a recently published study. It lasted 5 years, and the observation group consisted of 373,000 people from 10 European countries. It turned out, as in previous studies, that volunteers consuming nuts were able to reduce weight and improve he alth parameters.12Over the five-year period, the average weight gain among all subjects was 2.1 kg. And it was significantly lower in the nut consumption group. Eating nuts also translated into a 5% lower development of overweight or obesity. The nuts also had a positive effect on the processaging. People who consumed them showed better memory compared to the rest of the group.

Does only the excess caloric value from nuts contribute to weight gain?

Swedish researchers from Linkoping University decided to check it. During the 2-week study, they served nuts to one group and sweets to the other. In both cases, the energy value was the same. Only in the group that supplied the extra calories from sweets increased weight and waist circumference after completion of the study.13

Why is there less weight gain in people who eat nuts regularly? There are several theories. The first is that the metabolism of seeds or nuts requires more work from the body, which translates into greater energy expenditure. Additionally, fiber can make it difficult for the gut to absorb fats. Nuts also have a low glycemic index, which should remain as low as possible to maintain good he alth and weight. However, most likely nuts are rich in vitamins and minerals and have a very high satiety index, so you don't feel like eating too much. It also reduces the desire to snack between main meals.

Please note that highly processed foods are mostly devoid of these ingredients. Therefore, after meeting the caloric needs of the body, the body demands more - the missing vitamins and minerals. Manifesting it in the form of a constant feeling of hunger.

Taking an example, in order to meet the demand for magnesium, we need to eat a few times more white bread (which the flour cleaning process has been practically deprived of). On the other hand, eating wholemeal wholemeal bread or nuts will fill you up much faster, because we will also meet the other physiological needs of the body. This seems to be the key to a well-balanced diet.

Wonderful properties of nuts, or why you should munch them

Source: x-news.pl/Agencja TVN

About the authorMikołaj Choroszyński, nutritionist and gastrocoach Master of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Psycho-dietician, Youtuber. Author of the first book on the Polish market about a diet counteracting neurodegenerative diseases "MIND Diet. A Way for a Long Life". He fulfills himself professionally, running his Bdieta diet clinic, because nutrition has always been his passion. She helps her patients by telling them what to eat to stay he althy and look good.

Footnotes:

1. Włodarek D., Lange E., Kozłowska L., Głąbska D., "Dietotherapy" PZWL Warsaw 2014 p. 1

2. Natoli S, McCoy P. A review ofthe evidence: nuts and body weight. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007; 16 (4): 588-97. Martínez-González MA, Bes-Rastrollo M. Nut consumption, weight gain and obesity: Epidemiologica evidence. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Jun; 21 Suppl 1: S40-5.

3. Martínez-González MA, Bes-Rastrollo M. Nut consumption, weight gain and obesity: Epidemiological evidence. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Jun; 21 Suppl 1: S40-5. Alper CM, Mattes RD. Effects of chronic peanut consumption on energy balance and hedonics. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Aug; 26 (8): 1129-37.

4. Sabaté J, Cordero-Macintyre Z, Siapco G, Torabian S, Haddad E. Does regular walnut consumption lead to weight gain? Br J Nutr. 2005 Nov; 94 (5): 859-64.

5. Fraser GE, Bennett HW, Jaceldo KB, Sabaté J. Effect on body weight of a free 76 Kilojoule (320 calorie) daily supplement of almonds for six months. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Jun; 21 (3): 275-83.

6. Lovejoy JC, Most MM, Lefevre M, Greenway FL, Rood JC. Effect of diets enriched in almonds on insulin action and serum lipids in adults with normal glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Nov; 76 (5): 1000-6.

7. Almario RU, Vonghavaravat V, Wong R, Kasim-Karakas SE. Effects of walnut consumption on plasma fatty acids and lipoproteins in combined hyperlipidemia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Jul; 74 (1): 72-9.

8. Morgan WA, Clayshulte BJ. Pecans lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in people with normal lipid levels. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 Mar; 100 (3): 312-8. Garg ML, Blake RJ, Wills RB. Macadamia nut consumption lowers plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic men. J Nutr. 2003 Apr; 133 (4): 1060-3.

9. Garg ML, Blake RJ, Wills RB. Macadamia nut consumption lowers plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic men. J Nutr. 2003 Apr; 133 (4): 1060-3.

10. Rajaram S, Burke K, Connell B, Myint T, Sabaté J. A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich pecan-enriched diet favorably alters the serum lipid profile of he althy men and women. J Nutr. 2001 Sep; 131 (9): 2275-9.

11. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, Parker TL, Connelly PW, Qian W, Haight JS, Faulkner D, Vidgen E, Lapsley KG, Spiller GA. Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, and pulmonary nitric oxide: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Circulation. 2002 Sep 10; 106 (11): 1327-32.

12. Heinz Freisling, et al. Nut intake and 5-year changes in body weight and obesity risk in adults: results from the EPIC-PANACEA study. European Journal of Nutrition, 2022; DOI: 10.1007 / s00394-017-1513-0

13. Claesson AL, Holm G, Ernersson A, Lindström T, Nystrom FH. Two weeks of overfeeding with candy, but not peanuts, increases insulin levels and body weight. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2009; 69 (5): 598-605.

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