Moderate Nut Consumption Not Tied to Obesity
May 3, 2013
Tarragona, Spain — Including nuts in a balanced diet is unlikely to increase the risk of obesity, Spanish researchers report in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Spanish scientists reviewed 31 randomized, controlled clinical trials that compared diets including nuts with diets excluding nuts and had outcomes measuring body weight, BMI or waist circumference — all indicators of a risk of obesity. The studies followed the participants for periods ranging from two weeks to five years.
Little difference in weight or waist size was seen between those whose diets included nuts and controls, the authors conclude. In fact, at the end of follow-up, those whose diets included nuts lost an average of 1.4 pounds and half an inch from their waists. Researchers speculate that the unsaturated fats in nuts suppressed hunger.
“Although the magnitude of these effects was modest, the results allay the fear that nut consumption may promote obesity,” the authors write. “Our findings support the inclusion of nuts in healthy diets for cardiovascular prevention.”
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