BELIEVE IT OR NUT
Popular 65p snack can help you lose weight AND improve your heart health
WHEN it comes to weight loss, some experts will warn against eating nuts due to their high-fat content.
But Australian scientists are challenging this idea by revealing that almonds actually help shed the pounds.
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They found the cheap treat, which can cost as little as 65p in Sainsbury's, not only aids weight loss but also helps with overall heart health.
Author Dr Sharayah Carter, from the University of South Australia, said: "Nuts, like almonds, are a great snack as they’re high in protein, fibre, and packed with vitamins and minerals."
"However, they also have a high fat content which people can associate with increased body weight.
"Nuts contain unsaturated fats – or healthy fats – which can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, and contribute to a healthy heart."
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The latest study, published in the journal , compared an almond-supplemented diet with a nut-free diet, aiming to find out what sort of effect nuts have on weight.
Both the nut and nut-free diets resulted weight loss of over 1st (7kg) by the end of the trial.
"[But] the almond-supplemented diets also demonstrated statistically significant changes in some highly atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions, which may lead to improved cardiometabolic health in the longer term," Dr. Sharayah added.
Previous studies have also shown nuts have the added benefit of making you feel fuller for longer, which can also help with weight loss as it reduces over-eating.
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As part of the research, 106 participants were given one of two diets, which they stuck to for nine months,
One group consumed 15 per cent of their energy intake from unsalted whole almonds, while the other ate 15 per cent from carbohydrate-rich snacks like rice crackers or cereal bars.
Both groups lost approximately 9.3 per cent over their weight over by the end of the trial.
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