Most people avoid nuts because of the fallacy that they will make you fat. However, that belief is based upon the theory that fats make you fat.
There are a multitude of studies that show the benefits of nuts. Some of the studies have shown that people who eat a lot of nuts are less likely to die at any given age, especially of cancer or heart disease. In addition, recent studies have shown that people who eat a lot of nuts are likely to die from strokes.
It’s true that nuts are high in fat, and fat contains more calories per gram than proteins and sugars, and even alcohol. But studies have shown that people who eat nuts weight less than people who don’t eat nuts. In addition, studies show that kids who eat nuts had a lower body mass index than those who did not. Further, these studies show that adding a lot of nuts to one’s diet has a limited impact on body weight. And these studies show that those people who included nuts in on diets lost more weight and had less body fat than participants who did not eat nuts.
One explanation for the weight control benefit of nuts is the satiation provided by their high fat and protein content, which can reduce snacking on sweets and other carbohydrates. Another is that all the calories in nuts, especially whole nuts, may not be absorbed because they resist breakdown by body enzymes. In addition, one study has shown that eating peanut butter or peanuts for breakfast helps to control hunger by stabilizing blood sugar and reducing the desire to eat up to 8 to 12 hours.
So next time you pass up nuts because you’re thinking their fat will make you fat, think again. They may actually help control your weight.
