A handful of nuts could prove beneficial when it comes to weight loss, according to new research from the University of South Australia. 

Including nuts in calorie-controlled weight loss diets does not hinder weight loss, like many believe, and instead may have the opposite effect. 

Analysing the findings of seven randomised controlled trials that assessed weight changes and glycaemic control in energy-restrictive (ER) diets, researchers found that none of the studies produced an adverse effect to weight loss when nuts were included as part of the diet.  

Instead, four out of the seven studies showed that people who ate 42-84 grams of nuts as part of an ER diet achieved significantly more weight loss than those on ER diets without nuts. Weight loss for the ‘nut-enriched’ ER diets achieved an extra 1.4-7.4 kilograms, which researchers believe could be related to the ability of nuts to help curb hunger efficiently. 

UniSA researcher, Professor Alison Coates, argues nuts are a nutrient-rich food that should be included in weight-loss diets. The trials ranged from 4-52 weeks and involved 676 adults (aged 18-79 years) who were overweight or obese. 

“People often avoid nuts when trying to lose weight because they think that the energy and fat content in nuts can contribute to weight gain,” Professor Coates says. 

“But in fact, nuts are rich in healthy unsaturated fats, plant protein and dietary fibre, all of which play a role in promoting satiety, and reducing excess calorie consumption. Nuts are associated with improved cardiovascular and metabolic health, better gut health and enhanced cognitive performance. 

“Despite this, most Australians do not eat enough nuts, and 60% report eating none at all. 

“If weight gain was a concern discouraging people from eating nuts – rest assured that this is not the case. Nuts do not cause weight gain. Furthermore, they do not adversely affect weight loss, rather they appear to assist it.”