According to a study, almonds may be part of a healthy weight-loss diet.

When it comes to weight reduction, nuts often get a poor rap: while they’re strong in protein, they’re also heavy in fat, which frequently puts people off. However, a recent study from the University of South Australia indicates that you may consume almonds and lose weight at the same time.

Researchers discovered that incorporating almonds in an energy-limited diet not only helped patients lose weight but also improved their cardiometabolic health in the largest trial of its type.

Researchers showed that when energy-restricted diets were supplemented with Californian almonds or carbohydrate-rich snacks, both diets successfully lowered body weight by roughly 7 kg.

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More than 1.9 billion persons worldwide are overweight (650 million are obese). In Australia, two out of every three persons (about 12.5 million adults) are overweight or obese.

According to UniSA researcher Dr Sharayah Carter, the study shows how nuts can help with weight control and cardiometabolic health.

“Nuts, such as almonds, make an excellent snack. They’re abundant in protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals, but they also have a high-fat content, which some people link with weight gain,” Dr Carter explains.

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A nine-month eating regimen (a three-month energy-restricted diet for weight reduction, followed by a six-month energy-controlled diet for weight maintenance) was completed by 106 participants in the research (sponsored by the Almond Board of California). In both stages, 15% of participants’ calorie intake was made up of unsalted whole almonds with skins (for the nut diet) or 15% carbohydrate-rich snacks (for the nut-free diet), such as rice crackers or baked cereal bars.

These findings support dietitians’ and nutritionists’ recommendation of almonds as part of a healthy weight-loss diet.