Eating Brazil Nuts Daily Might Prevent Weight Gain and Diabetes, Study Suggests
If you haven’t tried snacking on Brazil nuts for weight loss, you might want to give it a go. Recent research shows that eating this crunchy snack daily may help prevent weight gain and provide other health benefits as well.
The 2018 research on the best nuts for heart health, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018 in Chicago, included a study that specifically focused on Brazil nuts. Researchers at San Diego State University analyzed 22 healthy adults after they ate either 36 grams of pretzels or 20 grams of Brazil nuts, in addition to their typical diet. While the Brazil nuts and the pretzels contained about the same amount of calories and sodium, they produced very different effects on the snackers.
After participants ate the pretzels, they felt a sense of being full, though they also experienced a significant increase in blood sugar and insulin about 40 minutes after they finished snacking. But after participants ate the Brazil nuts, they saw no major increase in blood sugar or insulin. Even better? They felt even more full and less hungry after noshing on the nuts than they did after eating the pretzels.
“While both Brazil nuts and pretzels increased a sense of fullness after they were eaten, eating Brazil nuts stabilized postprandial (after eating) blood glucose and insulin levels, which may be beneficial in preventing diabetes and weight gain,” said senior author Mee Young Hong, PhD, in a press release.
Experts think the reason why Brazil nuts might have this effect is that they’re high in the mineral selenium, which has been linked to improvements in insulin and glucose responses.
“Our study allows researchers and clinicians to consider the possible beneficial role of Brazil nuts to help people feel full and maintain a healthy level of glucose, reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes,” Dr. Hong said.
Well, we know what food is going at the top of our grocery lists this week!
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