Adding 40g of nuts into a weight loss diet results in significant weight loss and improved satiety, according to new research (1). 

The 24-week randomised controlled trial, led by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles, involved 95 healthy men and women, aged 30-68 years, with overweight/obesity.

Study participants added either 1.5 oz (around 40g) of mixed nuts, or a kilojoule-equivalent amount of pretzels, to their weight loss diet (-500kJ/day) for 12 weeks. This was followed by a weight maintenance program for another 12 weeks.

Both groups lost weight: 1.6kg over 12 weeks for the nut group, and 1.9kg for the pretzel group. But at 24 weeks, only the nut group maintained this weight loss. And at 24 weeks, compared to baseline, satiety was increased significantly in the nut group, compared with the pretzel group.

The study authors suggest the energy, plant protein, healthy fats and fibre in nuts, which makes them so satiating, could help explain the results.

“Including nuts in a weight loss diet does not hinder – and may in fact support – weight loss” (1).

Other nut-related outcomes:

• The dropout rate was significantly lower in the nut group (16.4%), compared with the pretzel group (35.9%).
• Heart rate was markedly reduced in the nut group at 12 and 24 weeks, compared to baseline levels. This was not seen in the pretzel group.
• The nut group had higher levels of plasma oleic acid – a heart healthy fatty acid – at 12 and 24 weeks, compared with baseline.

Inflammatory markers did not significantly change in either group over the 24-week study period.

“Nuts might play a significant role as part of a healthy weight loss program, and help people not only improve the quality of their diet, but also lower their risk of chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome” (1).

The research was published in the journal Nutrients in April 2021.

It is one of the first studies to investigate the impact of mixed tree nuts on weight. Earlier studies, which found similar beneficial effects, have focussed on single nut types (including walnuts, almonds and pistachios) (2-4).