Almond Facts: Snack on Almonds and Lose Weight

Eat seventy almonds per day. That’s the number that people in a US City of Hope National Medical Center experiment ate daily for six months, in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet, to drop 18 percent of their body weight.

In the study, 65 overweight and obese adults — 70 percent of whom had type 2 diabetes —were put on one of two diets designed for weight loss. The first group ate a liquid formula-based, low-calorie diet containing moderate fat from almonds (39 percent total fat, 25 percent monounsaturated fat, 35 percent carbohydrate as percent of energy). The second group ate a liquid formula-based, low-fat, low-calorie diet including self-selected complex carbohydrates (18 percent total fat, 5 percent monounsaturated fat, 53 percent carbohydrates as percent of energy). The two diets’ calorie count and protein levels were equivalent.

Participants in the almond diet saw an 18% reduction in weight and body mass index (BMI) — a measure of weight based on height — compared with an 11% reduction in the non-almond dieters. Additionally, waist circumference in the almond group decreased by 14%, compared with a 9% decrease in the non-almond group.

Study author Michelle Wien partially credits the satiety factor. “Almonds are a nutrient-dense food that provides healthy monounsaturated fat, protein and fiber, which together contribute to feeling full,” she says.

Both groups had improvement in their type 2 diabetes with lower blood sugar and insulin levels. But those on the almond diet were able to lower their need for diabetes medication more so than the non-almond dieters.

Go for whole almonds in their unsalted, raw or dry-roasted state. Fifteen to 20 will do the trick for a quick snack. Try 50 as a replacement meal.