Want to Lose Weight?
Almonds may be the answer! A recent study found that people who consumed 1.5 ounces of almonds a day reported reduced hunger and appetite, and therefore ate less throughout the day.
A study was performed at Perdue University with 137 patients with a risk of Type 2 Diabetes to investigate the health effects of eating daily amounts of almonds. Half of the subjects consumed 1.5 ounces (43 grams) of almonds with their breakfast, lunch and afternoon or morning snack. The remainder did not consume any almonds at all.
The subjects who consumed the almonds reported reduced hunger throughout the day and during the acute feeding sessions. Even though they were consuming an additional 250 calories of almonds, they reported eating less at other times of the day. Also they did not gain weight during the 4 week study. This suggests that almonds may be beneficial for preventing weight gain.
The reason that almonds decreases hunger comes from a variey of factors. A nutrition science professor at Purdue University, Richard Mattes stated the protein, fat and fiber help to satiate hunger while the lower carbohydrate count doesn't stimulate the appetite.
It is believed that other types of nuts may have similar effects, however the research was funded by the almond industry, according to NPR. Due to lack of government funding industry funded studies are becoming more the norm. Mattes, reported that the study was conducted by independent researchers and checked by peer reviewers prior to publishing the findings.
Souce: ChiroNexus; Aubrey Allison Almonds for skinny snackers? NPR; Almond image courtesy of Creative Commons
By: Cheryl Stanley