Almonds May Assist Weight-loss Effort
By Hugh C. McBride
They can be calorie-rich and filled with fat, but that doesn't mean nuts have no place in a healthy diet. As sources of fiber, protein, and minerals, nuts can be a tasty part of a balanced diet, and at least two nutrition experts have advocated on behalf of one "excellent" nut.
Writing in the July 3, 2008 edition of the Green Valley (Arizona) News & Sun, Dr. Rallie McAllister wrote that almonds can be a marvelous munchie for healthy eaters:
If you're searching for a snack food that can help you lose weight and gain health, almonds are an excellent choice. ...For folks trying to cut back on high-cholesterol animal foods, the crunchy nuts are a protein-rich alternative to eggs and meat. Ounce for ounce, almonds contain nearly as much protein as lean meat [and] unlike animal sources of protein, nuts are high in fiber.
Much of McAllister's article was based on a study of 65 overweight adults at California's City of Hope National Medical Center that was published in the November 2003 issue of the
International Journal of Obesity. During that study, researchers discovered that individuals who ate three ounces of almonds each day lost significantly more weight and experienced greater reductions in blood pressure than did members of a control group who consumed an equal amount of calories, but no nuts.
"The weight-loss benefits of eating almonds came as something of a surprise, since the study was originally designed to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering effects of almonds," said Dr. Michelle Wien, who led the City of Hope study. "As it turned out, the dieters who ate almonds lost more weight than would be expected if they were taking prescription diet pills."
According to McAllister's article on Wien's research, a fiber inherent in almonds may help the body evade the effects of some of the calories and fat contained in the nut. "The fiber binds with a portion of the fat, so that it doesn't come into contact with the intestinal wall," Wien said. "It just gets flushed out of the body."
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