Eating Almonds May Help You Lose Weight
Posted August 30, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Call it almond joy. A new study from Purdue University in the U.S. shows there may be one snack food you can eat that’s both satisfying and good for your waistline. According to scientists, it’s almonds. Researchers discovered that women who ate about 49 extra nuts as a snack over a 10 week period not only felt full, but didn’t gain weight over that time period.
It comes despite the fact that nuts have traditionally been considered high in fat and calories, leading weight control experts to warn dieters off of them. So why didn’t these ladies put on the pounds? The study has an intriguing answer: the fibre in almonds seems to block some of the fat they naturally contain, potentially providing fewer calories than labels actually state.
“Results of the study were really very clear, and that is that during the ten-week block of time that the women were consuming the almonds, there was no gain in body weight at all,” assures co-author Dr. Rick Mattes. He’s less able to account for why those involved seemed to feel so satisfied after consuming the extra treats. “The question is what is it in almonds that makes you feel full? Is it the protein? Is it the fibre? Is it the crunch?” For now, those answers aren’t known – just the apparent results.
Most people don’t seem to care. They just like the fact that there’s something that tastes good that promises not to add a lot of fat around their middle. Still, some would consume them anyway. “Maybe they’re fattening,” one woman muses. “But they’re good.”
So what’s the fat content of some of the more common nut snacks? Check the chart below and click here to see other readings.
|
Nuts (1 oz. or about 1/4 cup) |
Calories |
Grams of Fat |
|
Almonds |
165 |
15 |
|
Brazil Nuts |
185 |
19 |
|
Cashews |
165 |
13 |
|
Filberts (Hazelnuts) |
180 |
18 |
|
Macadamia nuts |
205 |
22 |
|
Peanuts |
165 |
14 |
|
Pecans |
190 |
19 |
|
Pine nuts |
160 |
17 |
|
Pistachios |
165 |
17 |
|
Walnuts, black |
170 |
16 |
|
Walnuts, English |
180 |
18 |
Chart courtesy: University of Illinois
