Dive Brief:
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Nut consumption is linked to less weight gain over a five-year period — despite nuts’ high calorie content, according to a study supported by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.
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The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, looked at nut intake and changes in weight over five years among more than 373,000 Europeans from 10 countries. Average weight gain over the period was 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs.), but those who ate the most nuts gained the least weight and were also 5% less likely to become overweight or obese.
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Nuts are an energy-dense food, providing 160 to 200 calories in a standard 1-ounce serving, so concerns that they may lead to weight gain persist. This study found the opposite effect.
Dive Insight:
Once demonized for their fat content, nuts have shed their less-than-healthy image and are becoming an important component of better-for-you products. As well as in snacks, nut consumption has also grown through grain-free products, gluten-free flours and dairy-free milk alternatives.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, daily per capita nut consumption in the United States increased by 26% from 2000 to 2010. In that time frame, nutritionists started to tout their benefits and consumers became aware of sources of “good fats.”
More recently, the Food and Drug Administration has updated its definition of “healthy” to include high-fat products like almonds and avocados, a move that better aligns with the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Its decision to revise the definition came after snack bar maker Kind challenged an FDA warning letter stating that it could not call its bars “healthy” because they contained too much saturated fat — despite the fat coming from nuts. The FDA changed its mind, and Kind has since been allowed to use the word “healthy” on its packaging.
This latest study is just the most recent to back nuts’ health benefits. A qualified health claim linking tree nut consumption with reduced heart disease risk was one of the first to be approved by the FDA back in 2003, and earlier this month macadamia nuts were added to the list of specific nuts that manufacturers can mention on product labels for their heart health benefits. Other nuts that qualify for the claim include walnuts, almonds and pistachios.