Weight Loss with Nuts

Weight Loss with Nuts

 

Once upon a time,  people who wanted to lose weight would avoid nuts because of their high fat and caloric content. Not anymore. Now they are a common part of many peoples’ diets, from nut flours for the gluten intolerant, nut milk for the lactose intolerant and a snack for those watching their fat intake.  For the vegetarian, nut consumption is a good source of protein.  For cooking, cashews and pine nuts offer a creamy consistency, and nuts are a good binder for crusts and pastas.  In the past decade,  almond production has doubled to 1600 million pounds in 2010 in the U.S.  Walnut and pistachio production has nearly doubled too according to the USDA.

All nuts have a nutrition value.   They have been known to lower LDL or bad cholesterol.  They are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to prevent the irregular heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks.  In 2000’s the FDA authorized a health claim for particular nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, hazel nuts):   saying that eating 1.5 ounces of these nuts along with a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet may reduce the risk of heart disease.  Note that cashews, macadamia  and brazil nuts were excluded because of their high saturated fat content.

In 2009 NIH looked at walnuts’ effects on people with diabetes.  Patients who ate them felt full without an effect on their insulin levels.   Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale Prevention Research Center, said “while high in calories, they can actually help control and reduce total calorie intake and therefore weight.”

Most nuts are equally good for you except for oiled, sugared or candied nuts.

Peanuts are classified as a nut but they are actually a legume.  Peanuts are rich in niacin, fiber, and magnesium and they contain more protein than any other FDA classified nut.

Almonds are indigenous to the middle east but California is a also a major producer.  They are high in vitamin E, fiber, and potassium.  Studies have shown they can reduce triglyceride levels in the blood.

Walnuts are high in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant,  double the amount compared to other nuts.  Walnuts have been shown to improve weight control, body composition and blood flow especially among those who are at risk for diabetes, according to Dr. Katz.

One serving of pistachios contain more than 10% of the government’s recommended daily value of fiber, copper, phosphorous and thiamine and more protein than the same amount of halibut.  They have been found to be helpful as a part of a weight loss treatment.  The act of shelling pistachios has been shown to slow down eating and the nut contains oleic acid which triggers feelings of fullness.

For more information see the LA Times article on October 13.