Nuts are one of nature’s easy solutions to helping belly fat melt away. Not only are nuts incredibly tasty, but they also come in a ton of varieties, allowing consumers to enjoy a ton of different flavors and textures.
Better yet, they’re not just good for tastebuds, either – nuts also provide the body a ton of health benefits, such as protecting it from heart disease, diabetes, and more.
Unfortunately, nuts get a bad reputation due to their high fat content. As a result, many people actively avoid these and, instead, opt for other lower-fat snacks.
However, scientific studies show that this high fat content is not only healthy, but is necessary to combat the diseases the body comes up against.
According to Authority Nutrition:
Regularly Eating Nuts Is Not Linked to Weight Gain
“Several observational studies have found that regularly eating nuts is not associated with weight gain and may even prevent it.
For example, one study looked at the diets of 8,865 men and women over 28 months.
It found that those who ate two or more portions of nuts a week had a 31% lower risk of weight gain, compared to those who never or rarely ate them.
Also, a review of 36 studies found that regularly consuming nuts was not linked to an increase in weight, body mass index (BMI) or waist size.
In controlled studies where participants had to stick to a strict diet, the addition of many different types of nuts did not cause changes in body weight.
More importantly, in studies where nuts were added to the diets of people who were able to eat as they liked, nut consumption did not lead to weight gain.
That said, a small number of studies have reported that eating nuts was associated with an increase in body weight.
However, any increase in weight was very small, much lower than expected and tended to be insignificant in the long term.”
Summary: Studies have found that eating nuts regularly does not promote weight gain, regardless of whether people follow a strict diet or eat as they please. In some cases, they protect against weight gain.
Eating Nuts May Even Boost Weight Loss
Several large observational studies have found that more frequent nut consumption is associated with a lower body weight.
It’s not clear why this is, but it may be partly due to the healthier lifestyle choices of those who eat nuts.
However, human studies show that including nuts as part of a weight loss diet does not hinder weight loss. In fact, it often boosts weight loss.
For example, one study of 65 overweight or obese individuals compared a low-calorie diet supplemented with almonds to a low-calorie diet supplemented with complex carbs.
They consumed equal amounts of calories, protein, cholesterol and saturated fat.
At the end of the 24-week period, those on the almond diet had a 62% greater reduction in weight and BMI, 50% greater reduction in waist circumference and 56% greater reduction in fat mass.
In other studies, calorie-controlled diets containing nuts resulted in a similar amount of weight loss as a calorie-controlled, nut-free diet.
However, the group consuming nuts experienced improvements in cholesterol, including a reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This benefit was not experienced by those consuming the nut-free diets.
Summary: Regularly eating nuts as part of a weight loss diet can boost weight loss and improve cholesterol.
Nuts Can Help Reduce Your Appetite and Increase Feelings of Fullness
Adding nuts to the diet has been linked to reduced hunger and feeling full for longer.
For example, snacking on almonds has been shown to reduce hunger and cravings.
In one study, over 200 people were told to eat a portion of peanuts as a snack.
The result was that they naturally ate fewer calories later in the day. This effect was greater when peanuts were eaten as a snack, rather than at a main meal.
It’s thought that their appetite-suppressing effects are likely due to the increased production of the hormones peptide YY (PYY) and/or cholecystokinin (CCK), both of which help regulate appetite.
The theory is that the high protein and high unsaturated fat content may be responsible for this effect.
Studies suggest that 54–104% of the extra calories that come from adding nuts to the diet are canceled out by a natural reduction in the intake of other foods.
In other words, eating nuts as a snack increases feelings of fullness, which results in eating less of other foods.
Summary: Nut consumption is associated with reduced appetite and increased feelings of fullness. This means that people eating them may naturally eat less throughout the day.
As shown in the results of the scientific studies above, nuts can really do a surprising amount of positive things for our health. Not only can they fight off diabetes and heart disease, but nuts are also capable of boosting our weight loss.
However, the decision to not eat these natural snack foods is what is potentially causing many men and women across the nation to keep the uncomfortable, unhealthy and unflattering belly fat they do have.
Of course, it’s important to remember that eating nuts (just like any other food) should be done in moderation. It’s also important to snack on unsalted nuts that do not contain any added oils or flavors. This will give the body the most nutritional benefits it needs to thrive.
