Almonds can help you reduce calories

Losing weight is never easy, but according to a new study from the University of South Australia, a handful of almonds can make you shed excess weight
.
By studying how almonds affect appetite, researchers found that 30–50 grams of almond snacks can help people reduce their daily calorie
intake.

The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that those who ate almonds reduced their energy intake by 300 kilojoules in the following meal (most of which came from junk food)
compared to energy-equivalent carbohydrate snacks.

Dr Sharayah Carter from the UniSA Sport, Nutrition and Activity Research Consortium (ARENA) said the study provided valuable insights
into weight management.

Dr Carter said: "Overweight and obesity rates are a major public health issue and regulating appetite through better hormonal responses could be key to
facilitating weight management.
Our study investigated hormones that regulate appetite and how nuts — especially almonds — can help control appetite
.
We found that people who ate almonds had changes in appetite-regulating hormones, which could lead to a decrease in food intake (300 kJ less).

”

In Australia, two-thirds (12.
5 million) of adults are overweight or obese
.
Globally, 9 billion adults are overweight, 650 million of whom are obese
.

The study found that people who ate almonds had a 47% reduction in C-peptide response (C-peptide may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease); and higher levels of glucose-dependent insulin polypeptides (18% higher), glucagon (39% higher), and pancreatic polypeptide response (44% higher).

Glucagon sends satiety signals to the brain, while pancreatic polypeptides slow digestion and thus reduce food intake, both of which are beneficial for weight loss
.

"Almonds are rich in protein, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids, which may contribute to their satiety and help explain why fewer kilojoules are consumed
.
"

The results of this study suggest that eating almonds can make small changes
in people's energy intake.
Dr.
Carter says this could have long-term clinical effects
.

"Even small, positive lifestyle changes can have long-term effects
.
When we make small, sustainable changes, we are more likely to improve our overall health in the long run," says Dr.
Carter
.
"Almonds are a great healthy snack to incorporate into your daily diet
.
We are now pleased to see how almonds affect appetite on a weight loss diet and how they help with long-term weight control
.
”

Sharayah Carter, Alison M.
Hill, Jonathan D.
Buckley, Sze-Yen Tan, Geraint B.
Rogers, Alison M.
Coates.
Acute feeding with almonds compared to a carbohydrate-based snack improves appetite-regulating hormones with no effect on self-reported appetite sensations: a randomised controlled trial.
European Journal of Nutrition, 2022