A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that eating 1.5 ounces of lightly salted, dry-roasted almonds each day (about 35 almonds) reduced overall hunger, did not affect body weight, and helped the participants to meet their ideal daily intake of Vitamin E.
With the majority of Americans eating more and more snacks, it’s a great thing to find a snack that doesn’t result in weight gain and that also provides nutritional benefits.
The test divided the 137 people into five groups: One group ate no nuts or seeds, another group ate almonds with breakfast, another ate them with lunch, the next group ate them alone as a mid-morning snack, and the last group ate them as a mid-afternoon snack.
An interesting aspect of the study is that the participants were people with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating almonds lowered their blood sugar levels after meals, especially for the in between meal “snack” groups. When consumed as snacks, the almonds also reduced hunger at regular meals.
Richard Mattes, PhD, professor of nutrition science at Purdue University and the lead researcher of the study says: “This research suggests that almonds may be a good snack option, especially for those concerned about weight.” The study shows that almonds can increase healthy fat and Vitamin E intake while avoiding weight gain, despite the increase in calories from eating them.
