Nashville, Tennessee – A groundbreaking new study has debunked the long-standing myth that eating nuts leads to weight gain. For years, many have been skeptical of incorporating tree nuts into their diet due to their high calorie and fat content. However, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found that not only do nuts not cause weight gain, but they can actually lead to a loss of abdominal fat.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, focused on millennial-aged adults with an increased risk of Metabolic Syndrome (MetSx), a cluster of conditions that heighten the risk for heart disease and diabetes. Participants were split into two groups, with one consuming an ounce of unsalted mixed tree nuts, such as pistachios, and the other consuming an equivalent amount of a carbohydrate-based snack twice a day for 16 weeks. Importantly, participants did not make any additional dietary restrictions or lifestyle changes.
Lead researcher Heidi J. Silver, PhD, RD, emphasized the importance of the study’s design in determining the independent effects of eating tree nuts on body weight. The results revealed that the group consuming nuts experienced a 67% decreased risk of MetSx for females and a 42% decreased risk for males, along with no change in energy intake or body weight.
Furthermore, the study found that for females, eating tree nuts led to reduced abdominal fat, while for males, it reduced blood insulin levels. The efficiency with which the nut-eating group turned fat consumption into energy also suggests that the group did not maintain body weight or fat.
Silver underscored the significance of the findings, explaining that “eating tree nuts, like pistachios, does not have to lead to weight gain and can be an important part of anyone’s self-health care routine.” However, she also highlighted the need for further research to understand the cardiometabolic response to tree nuts in other subgroups of the population.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, more than half of Americans currently do not meet the daily recommendation of five to seven ounces of nuts and seeds per week. With these new findings, it is clear that nuts can play a beneficial role in a healthy diet, countering the myth that they cause weight gain.