Are nuts good for weight loss and health

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Are nuts good for weight loss and overall health
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Are we nuts not to eat nuts? Nuts contain a lot of nutrients, protein, fat but they also contain a lot of calories. 100 g of peanuts contain about 580 calories. That’s approximately 11x more than 100 g of apples or approximately 5x more than 100 g of boiled lentils.

So, should we eat nuts or avoid them? Are nuts good for weight loss and our health based on scientific research? Let’s find out in this article.

Are nuts good for weight loss

A systematic review of 49 studies says that due to the high energy density of nuts and seeds, it was believed that their consumption could increase weight gain; however, it is observed that the consumption of this group of foods does not stimulate weight gain. In contrast, the ingestion of nuts can help in the control of satiety and in the increase of thermogenesis. The introduction of these foods also promotes an increase in the quality of the diet, because they are rich in MUFAs, PUFAs, proteins, fibers, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential. [1]

Meta-analysis of 105 studies says that tree nuts and peanuts do not increase the risk of obesity and they can even help lose weight and waist circumference. [2]

Review of the long-term studies shows that consumption of nuts was not associated with a higher risk of weight gain in long-term epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. [3]

Meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials says that diets enriched with nuts did not increase body weight, body mass index, or waist circumference in controlled clinical trials. [4]

Are nuts healthy for us?

Meta-analysis of 20 studies shows that higher nut intake is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality, and mortality from respiratory disease, diabetes, and infections. [5]

Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials says that the consumption of almonds compared with controls decreases total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol, but also significantly decreases other CVD risk factors such as body weight. [6]

A systematic review of 27 studies shows that that 4 weekly 28-g servings of nuts were associated with 24% lower risk of fatal ishemic heart disease (IHD), 22% lower risk of nonfatal IHD, and 13% lower risk of diabetes. Also, the consumption of 4 weekly 100-g servings of legumes was associated with 14% lower risk of IHD. [7]

Summary

So, are nuts good for weight loss and are nuts healthy for us overall based on scientific research?
It looks like studies show that consumption of nuts does not increase the risk of obesity. Moreover it looks like our bodies go so nuts when eating nuts that we can even lose weight and waist circumference while eating nuts.

Also, studies show that nuts are healthy for us and they even may prevent some diseases such as ishemic heart disease, cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality, and mortality from respiratory disease, diabetes, infections.

Enjoy your life, keep going and being the best version of yourself,
Serhii.

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