Can eating a handful of almonds daily reduce belly fat?
A study carried out in the Pennsylvania State
University and published
in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that
including 42 gms (1.5 ounces) of almonds daily can not only cut down on the
risk of heart diseases but also reduce belly fat, producing a trimmer
waistline.
In a 12 week randomized, controlled clinical study, the scientists
compared 52 overweight, middle aged adults who had high cholesterol but were
otherwise healthy. All the paticipants were put on an identical cholesterol
lowering diet, with all meals and snacks in amounts necessary to maintain their
body weight.
But while half of the group was given a snack of 42
gms of almonds daily, the other group was allowed to snack on a banana muffin.
This was the only difference in the diet. The almonds and the banana muffin
contained the same amount of calories. There is 160 calories in an ounce
of almonds as well as protein, fibre, vitamin and minerals. A single almond weighs approximately 2 gms.
After six weeks, it was noted that the participants on the
diet with almond snacks had significantly reduced central adiposity with resultant decrease in waist circumference and belly fat.Leg fat was also considerably reduced. There was no difference in total
weight between the two groups. Central adiposity is a well known risk
factor for heart disease.
Not only that, there was reduction in the total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and remnant lipoproteins.
Belly fat not only makes the body unsightly, but it is also
linked to metabolic syndrome - a disorder characterized by a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and central obesity. The nuts moderate blood sugar level - particularly beneficial
for people with diabetes.
Almonds are also high in monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E
which protect against Alzheimer's disease, The flavonoids in the almond skin
act as anti-oxidants and together with Vitamin E decreases wrinkles
and age spots.
"Our research found that substituting
almonds for a high-carbohydrate snack improved numerous heart health risk
factors, including the new finding that eating almonds reduced belly fat,"
said Claire Berryman, lead researcher of the study.
"Choosing almonds as a snack may be a simple
way to help fight the onset of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases,"
said Berryman.
The study provides evidence that snacking on almonds instead of a high carbohydrate snack helps to limit belly fat and has overall benefits on body composition.
Interesting. Thanks for the update.
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