Could keeping weight off come down to something as easy as a daily handful of walnuts? A study from a San Diego (California; USA) School of Medicine, recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, points in that direction.
The researchers enrolled 245 overweight and obese adults, ages 22 to 72, in a year-long weight-loss program. Participants were randomly assigned to different eating plans, ranging from higher-fat to lower-fat diets, and from high-carbohydrate to low-carbohydrate diets. One final option was a walnut-rich plan that was higher in fat and lower in carbs, with participants eating a handful of walnuts daily. At the six-month mark, the walnut group had shed the most weight. Those same participants also showed better cholesterol numbers than the other groups, with so-called bad cholesterol falling and good cholesterol (HDL) climbing.
So what should you take away from this? When you compare diets, plans richer in monounsaturated (good) fats may help lower your heart disease risk and improve your blood cholesterol. A diet built around walnuts delivers plenty of polyunsaturated fats, including alpha-linoleum acid (ALA). This omega-3 fatty acid also shows up in certain vegetables, such as flaxseed. Because walnuts supply these omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, they may offer some of the same advantages as the omega-3 found in fish. Consider tossing a few walnuts into your Mediterranean salad. And Happy New Year’s! I’m Dr. Michael Hunter, and I’m off to enjoy a few walnuts (plus a little dark chocolate, I must admit).
