Introduction
Consumption on a regular basis or snacking on nuts for their crunchy flavor and health benefits is common in Indian households. However, the confusion of nuts leading to weight gain is still unanswered for many. Read this article to explore this common nutrition myth being busted and learn about the nutrition, health benefits, and thermogenic effects exerted by nuts.
Why Are Nuts a Good Source of Macronutrients?
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Most Individuals refrain from consuming nuts due to the fear of weight gain, or they believe in the common myth that consuming nuts regularly or frequently can lead them to intake more calories, leading to subsequent weight gain.
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One has to rethink if they are avoiding nuts because of this reason. According to nutrition experts across the globe, nuts are nutrient-dense plant-based foods that are the sources of essential dietary fiber. Nuts, which are natural plant products in fact can give individuals the best plant-based protein and can prove to be a great macronutrient source that would be of use for muscle synthesis and protein metabolism in their body.
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Further, apart from the essential dietary fiber that nuts hold, as mentioned earlier, most nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins, and minerals, along with bioactive compounds or phytonutrients that can significantly affect immunity.
Does Consuming Nuts Cause Weight Gain?
Coming to the nutritional perspective on nuts leading to weight gain in Individuals, several meta-analyses and systematic review research reports conclude that it is nothing more than a myth. According to the information that is published in the meta analysis reports and based on a review by a collaboration of several studies, the findings on nut intake and weight status are as follows:
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The concern about nut consumption that is linked to weight gain in Individuals is unwarranted and cannot, as such, affect the body weight, waist circumference, BMI (body mass index), or body weight.
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Researchers looked at many studies and reports about nuts and weight. They found that eating almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, or peanuts did not affect body size or cause weight gain. This is a myth that is completely untrue because nuts usually tend to have a thermogenic effect, meaning that the fats consumed by an individual via the nuts do not tend to accumulate in the adipose tissues or fat tissues in the body compared to the other fats one consumes through the diet.
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The hard physical structure of nuts ensures that they are not completely digested, which means the research about the calorie counts of nuts may be overestimated by nearly 25 percent. Consuming nuts regularly can exert a satiating effect, according to nutrition experts, and also help modify the appetite, helping in controlling unhealthy food or hunger cravings by making an individual feel fuller for longer periods of time.
What Is the Importance of a Balanced or Nutrient Dense Diet?
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Vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, dairy products, non-dairy plant-based proteins, lean meats, and seafood can bind an individual by consuming calories in some form or other via diet. A low-calorie diet without taking adequate nutrients does not always ensure that individuals lose weight the healthy way.. Hence, the focus of Individuals looking forward to sustaining systemic health should be on a balanced diet.
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A balanced or nutrient-dense diet is accommodative of these nut sources from nature that are, in fact, the best plant-based protein and heart-healthy fat sources that can boost an individual's immunity. Because most of the nuts are calorically dense, they may not be included by many nutrition experts in a weight loss diet form. However, weight loss is not the goal of any individual who wishes to sustain a healthy metabolism and immunity.
What Are the Recommendations to Consume Nuts?
According to recommendations by most nutritionists, it is ideal to consume around 1 to 1.5 ounces of nuts every day to sustain systemic health, preferably from fresh and raw nuts that are unsalted or not sweetened (as added sugars or sodium can lessen the health benefits one can avail from raw nuts). One can also consume or experiment with nuts in their breakfast recipes as well to keep them satiated till lunchtime. For example, almonds and pistachios are higher in calcium content, while cashews are rich in iron, pecans, and macadamias in antioxidants, Brazil nuts in selenium, and walnuts in omega 3 fats, to name a few.
What Are the Health Benefits of Nuts?
Consumption of nuts can have many health benefits, such as the following:
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Several research studies and meta-analysis reports conclude that Individuals who consume nuts as much as at least four times a week can be less predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes. Further, regular nut consumption can also improve blood glycemic control or sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.
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Current research shows that despite their higher calorie content, consuming a handful of nuts daily can supply essential cardioprotective unsaturated fats. These fats are not only easily oxidized, but they tend to have a higher thermogenic effect compared to the saturated fatty acids consumed through diet. This means these unsaturated fats can balance the protein intake and also do not accumulate in the tissue fat.
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Nuts further comprise compounds known as phytonutrients and polyphenols that can prevent harmful free radical damage to body cells, aiding in the prevention of chronic disease.
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Nuts comprise mono and polyunsaturated heart-healthy fats that can serve to transport the excess cholesterol present in the blood to the liver, where the bad cholesterol can be excreted through the stools, thereby eliminating it considerably.
Conclusion
Nutrition experts advocate that consuming a balanced diet and sustaining a healthy weight via the consumption of nutrient-rich foods and having a balance of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates are essential to sustain long-term systemic health. This means the consumption of nuts on a regular basis, according to current-day nutrition researchers, can certainly be cardioprotective as well as supply one body with essential micronutrients and antioxidant compounds beneficial for immunity and metabolism, and as such, cannot lead to weight gain at all.
