Globally, nine billion adults are overweight with 650 million of these being obese. Weight loss is never an easy nut to crack, but a handful of almonds could keep extra kilos at bay, says research from the University of South Australia. Published in the ‘European Journal of Nutrition’, the study says that a snack of almonds could help people cut back on the number of kilojoules they consume each day.
Researchers examined the hormones that regulate appetite, and how nuts, specifically almonds, might contribute to appetite control. They found that people who ate 30-50g almonds experienced changes in their appetite-regulating hormones, and that these may have contributed to reduced food intake by 300kJ.
The study says that people who eat almonds have 47% lower C-peptide responses, which can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and higher levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (18% higher), glucagon (39% higher), and pancreatic polypeptide responses (44% higher). Glucagon sends satiety signals to the brain, while pancreatic polypeptide slows digestion which may reduce food intake, both encouraging weight loss.
Almonds are high in protein, fibre, and unsaturated fatty acids, which may contribute to their satiating properties. The findings of this study show that eating almonds produce changes to people’s energy intake, which may have positive clinical effects in the long term.