Are Nuts Fattening? Debunking the Myth Of Weight Gain (2024)

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Healthy Diet

Learn why nuts are a smart choice for health and debunk the myth of their fattening reputation.

Are Nuts Fattening? Debunking the Myth Of Weight Gain (1)

Written by: Rida Hijab
Updated at: Jul 01, 2024 09:55 IST

Are Nuts Fattening? Debunking the Myth Of Weight Gain (2)

For the longest time, nuts have been negatively stereotyped to be fattening snacks. This is mainly due to the high calorie and fat density of the nuts. Nuts are calorically dense as they contain a lot of calories per ounce. They are also high in fat. It is easy to overeat nuts, as the serving size is small. But nuts are a great way to add nutrients and healthy fats to your diet. Recent evidence shows that nuts are not associated with significant weight gain. They may, in fact, even help maintain a healthy weight. Let's see why including nuts in your diet will benefit you and break the myth about nuts being fattening.

Nutrition Benefits of Nuts

Rich in Antioxidants

Polyphenols are antioxidants. Nuts are high in polyphenols, and in turn, are high in antioxidants that fight free radicals from your body. Therefore, they will help reduce the risk of oxidative stress and protect against various diseases. For instance, nuts, particularly walnuts, were found to have a better ability than fish to reduce oxidative stress, according to reports. In addition, antioxidants available in nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pistachios also protect the fats found in the cells from being ruined.

Improve Cholesterol

Nuts help in lowering levels of your bad LDL cholesterol, lower your triglycerides and elevate your good HDL cholesterol. For instance, pistachios have been shown to decrease triglyceride levels among people with obesity and diabetes. Nuts such as pistachios have high amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are responsible for these effects.

Anti-inflammatory

Brazil nuts, pistachios, almonds, and walnuts are some nuts that have anti-inflammatory qualities. They reduce inflammation, and this is a core preventive measure in healthy aging and in the management of conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.

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Heart Health

Eating nuts lowers heart disease and stroke. It lowers the levels of small, dense LDL which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Nuts elevate the large LDL and good HDL cholesterol, thus adding more protection to the heart.

Nuts and Diabetes

Nuts are good for patients who have metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It reduces blood pressure and blood sugar and improves overall health. Having a low carb index, they do not cause blood sugar elevation and are useful for diabetics.

Improves Bowel and Gut Health

Nuts contain a lot of fibers which help in easy bowel movement. The fibre will firm up the stool by absorbing water and giving bulk to the stool. Also, the unsaturated fatty acids, along with polyphenols, affect gut microbiota in a positive manner, leading to good gut health.

Why Nuts Do Not Cause Weight Gain

The calorie content in nuts is high but still, they do not cause weight gain. They have been found to be unrelated to weight gain in numerous studies and even cause body fat reduction. The fibres, proteins, and healthy fats in nuts are high, and they satiate the individual and reduce calorie intake eventually.

Promote Satiety

They produce a feeling of fullness and help in the suppression of appetite. Eating, for example, almonds has been associated with fewer cravings and lower calorie intake. The high protein and unsaturated fat in nuts are responsible for this.

Fat Absorption

Most fat in nuts gets excreted from the body. The high fibre content makes much of the fat from nuts travel undigested through the gut and eventually get expelled from the body. The calories absorbed get reduced.

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Calories/Fat burned

It may elevate the number of calories burned at rest by a small amount. Studies indicated that people can burn a larger amount of fat when nuts are a part of their diet, particularly if they are overweight or obese. This means that nuts will help in weight control and the loss of body fat.

Bottomline

Nuts are small but mighty when it comes to the variety of health benefits they provide without adding to the waistline. They keep you full for longer, are excellent for your cholesterol, and work on inflammation as well as a healthy heart and gut. Eating nuts will protect a person from becoming overweight while ensuring health in general. So next time you are going for nuts, remember they are not fattening but very wholesome and beneficial food for health.