A study reveals one of the best foods to lose weight

According to a study from the University of South Australia, published in the scientific journal ‘European Journal of Nutrition’, a handful of almonds a day could not only help avoid gaining weight but aid in maintaining weight and also controling appetite.

The study revealed that people who ate almonds reduced their energy intake by 300 kilojoules at the next meal, a way to keep down food cravings so that you don’t come to your next meal uncontrollably hungry and eating the first thing you want.

Almonds against obesity

“Rates of overweight and obesity are a major public health concern and modulating appetite through better hormonal response may be key to promoting weight management,” said Sharayah Carter, MD, the leader of the study.

“We found that people who ate almonds experienced changes in their appetite-regulating hormones, and that these may have contributed to reduced food intake (by 300kJ),” said the researcher, a fact that is even more relevant, since worldwide there are 650 million people who are obese.

“Almonds are high in protein, fibre, and unsaturated fatty acids, which may contribute to their satiating properties and help explain why fewer kilojoules were consumed,” she remarked.

What the study says

The study found that people who ate almonds had 47% lower C-peptide responses, which may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, almonds provided higher response levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (18% more), glucagon (39% more) and pancreatic polypeptide (44% more).

Precisely glucagon sends satiety signals to the brain, while pancreatic polypeptide slows digestion, which can reduce food intake, both of which promote weight loss.

The health authorities recommend consuming about 25 grams a day, more or less, a small handful, which is equivalent to about 147 calories.