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Walnuts and Health

Tasty Tool for Weight Management

It turns out the good fat (2.5 grams ALA/omega 3s per ounce), fiber (2 grams per ounce) and protein (4 grams per ounce) in walnuts may aid in satiety, an important factor in successful weight management. 

A 2001 Loma Linda University study¹ found that regular walnut consumption did not lead to weight gain in study participants. 

Methods:

• A randomized crossover feeding trial included 10 men with hypercholesterolemia. 
• Participants followed one of three diets to follow over a six week period: 1) control, 2) Mediterranean-type cholesterol-lowering diet, and 3) a diet of similar composition in which walnuts replaced 35% of energy from unsaturated fat. 

Results:

• After six months the walnut eaters had not gained weight. 
• The walnut diet reduced serum total and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 4.2 percent and 6.0 percent respectively.  Overall, individuals in this study who substituted walnuts for other calories did not gain weight and showed improvements in cholesterol levels. 

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity², evaluated weight loss patterns of overweight men and women and found improved weight loss with consumption of foods such as walnuts.

Methods:

• Participants: 101 overweight males and females
• For 18 months, subjects consumed either a moderate-fat Mediterranean diet including nuts such as walnuts (35 percent of energy) or a standard low-fat diet (20 percent of energy). 

Results:

• The participants following a Mediterranean-style moderate fat weight loss diet, including peanuts and tree nuts, such as walnuts, were able to improve weight-loss and keep weight off for a longer period than people following the traditionally recommended low-fat diet.  The researchers suggest that adding nuts may help provide satiety.