Body Weight & Nuts
Body Weight & Nuts Study Introduction
Eating lots of nuts is associated with lower rates of coronary artery
disease (CAD). However, nuts are fatty foods and regular consumption may
lead to body weight gain. Because obesity is a major public health problem
and a risk factor for CAD, clinicians and policy makers ponder several
questions. Will hypercholesterolemic patients advised to consume nuts
gain weight? Is recommending increased nut consumption to the general
population for CAD prevention sound public health advice?
Body Weight & Nuts Study Results
Epidemiologic studies indicate an inverse association between frequency
of nut consumption and body mass index. In well-controlled nut-feeding
trials, no changes in body weight were observed. Some studies on free-living
subjects in which no constraints on body weight are imposed show a nonsignificant
tendency to lower weight while subjects are on the nut diets. In another
line of evidence, preliminary data indicate that subjects on nut-rich
diets excrete more fat in stools.
Body Weight & Nuts Study Conclusion
Further research is needed to study the effects of nut consumption on
energy balance and body weight. In the meantime, the available cumulative
data do not indicate that free-living people on self-selected diets including
nuts frequently have a higher body mass index or a tendency to gain weight.
Source: Joan Sabaté, From the Departments
of Nutrition and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University,
Loma Linda, CA.
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