Is It True That Eating Nuts Causes Weight Gain?

 

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Is It True That Eating Nuts Causes Weight Gain? An RD explains, "No." What You Should Know

 SEP 5, 2021

Don't be a knucklehead. While they have a negative reputation for being rich in calories, these nutritional powerhouses may be a dieter's best friend if consumed in moderation. Nuts are sometimes put into the “bad” food category, especially by people who are concerned about gaining weight. That makes it obvious, given that nuts are high in fat and calories. Isn't it counterproductive to include nuts in your diet while you're attempting to lose weight?
According to Richard D. Mattes, M.P.H., Ph.D., RD, distinguished professor of nutrition science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, nuts can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.“Despite the fact that nuts are high in fat and energy, they have a lot of qualities that counteract this,” he says. While nuts will not help you lose weight, they will contribute protein, fiber, nutrients, and satiating healthy fat to your diet, which is beneficial if you're trying to limit your intake throughout the day.

Why You Won't Gain Weight If You Eat Nuts

Ground nuts such as peanuts and tree nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, and cashews, among others, do provide calories. Walnuts contain 190 calories per ounce, while cashews, pistachios, and almonds contain 160 calories per ounce. Walnuts have 19 grams of fat, 14 grams of fat in almonds, and 13 grams of fat in pistachios and cashews. They are, nevertheless, a great source of protein. Per 1/4 cup of peanuts, there are 9.5 grams of protein (a typical serving). Almonds offer 7 grams of protein per 1/4 cup, whereas pistachios have 6 grams, cashews have 5 grams every 1.4 cups, and pine nuts have 4.5 grams per 1/4 cup.

However, as in this case, figures do not always tell the whole story. That's because each nut has its own set of characteristics that help counteract these negative effects. To begin with, you don't absorb all of the energy (calories) in nuts. According to Mattes, “a percentage of the energy is not biologically available,” thus your body only receives around 80% of the calories from nuts. Calories that have not been utilized leave your body through your stool.

Take a look at data from the Agricultural Research Service, which looked at how many calories are used by the body against how many are actually in walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. The body used fewer calories than were really in the nuts across the board. Calorie absorption in pistachios was 22.6 calories per gram, compared to 23.7 calories per gram, which is the commonly accepted number of calories in pistachios. So your body would only consume 153.8 of the 161.9 calories in that ounce of pistachios. And one ounce of walnuts provided 146 of the 185 calories available to the body, but one ounce of almonds provided 129 calories vs around 170 calories.

Furthermore, because nuts are so filling, they help you eat less throughout the day. “When people consume nuts, they tend to compensate by eating less at other times of the day, offsetting a significant percentage of the energy,” adds Mattes. Nuts, according to his research, may make an energy-restricted diet more appetizing, which could boost adherence to the program.

What else is there to like about nuts? “Although it is less well established, nuts can increase resting energy expenditure, which would help offset the calories,” adds Mattes. As a result of all of this, nuts can be a dieter's greatest friend, and multiple studies have shown that nuts can assist prevent weight gain. According to a study published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, increasing nut consumption by one serving per day was associated with less weight gain and a lower risk of obesity over a four-year period, even more so when research participants switched a serving of any type of nut for less healthful items including French fries, dessert, red or processed meat, or potato chips. This does not apply to nut butter, though. “When you eat a nut butter, the nut's cell wall is split, releasing the energy stored in those cells,” Mattes explains. In other words, all of the calories in those nut butter will be absorbed by your body.
Nuts' Health Advantages

Nuts should be included in your plant-based diet for many reasons other than just weight loss. According to William W. Li, M.D., an internationally known physician, scientist, and author of the New York Times bestseller Eat to Beat Disease, “nuts contain good fats and are a fantastic source of dietary fiber that nourishes the gut microbiome.” This has been demonstrated to reduce blood cholesterol and activate fat-burning enzymes in the body.

According to Alexandra Caspero, M.A., R.D., a nutritionist in St. Louis who runs delishknowledge.com and is co-author of The Plant-Based Baby + Toddler, nuts are high in micronutrients in addition to monounsaturated fats, fiber, and protein. Vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, and selenium are just a few examples. Nuts have been demonstrated to help reduce heart disease risk. “Higher nut consumption was inversely related with total cardiovascular disease risk and coronary heart disease risk in three major prospective cohort studies,” Caspero writes.“And it's not just heart disease; strong inverse relationships between nut consumption and cancer and respiratory disease fatalities have also been found.”

When it comes to nuts, moderation is crucial. They may be healthy, but the calories and fat may pile up quickly. According to Mattes, the sweet spot is roughly an ounce or an ounce and a half a day.

Just make sure the nuts are plain. Many are deep-fried, sugar-coated, or include preservatives. “All of this has the potential to reduce tree nut health,” Li says.