You’ve seen me post about this before, but I just want to put the reminder out there that eating nuts is healthy. Nut consumption is even associated with reduced rates of obesity. So include healthy tree nuts in your diet such as Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts (they’re even local for those of us in the Pacific NW), and pecans. Read on:
THURS., JAN. 9, 2014: JUST-RELEASED NATURAL HEALTH STUDY–NUT CONSUMPTION LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF OBESITY: Researchers have found a significant association between higher consumption of tree nuts and a lower risk of metabolic syndrome and obesity. (Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors shown to be associated with death, a twofold increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and a fivefold increased risk for type 2 diabetes.) Mean tree nut intake was 16 grams a day among the high tree nut consumers and 5 grams a day among low tree nut consumers. Doubling this consumption could potentially reduce metabolic syndrome risk by 14 percent. One serving, defined as 28 grams or 1 ounce, of tree nuts per week was significantly associated with 7 percent less risk of metabolic syndrome. Overall nut consumption is associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome, but tree nuts appear to provide especially beneficial effects against this syndrome. High tree nut consumers had significantly lower prevalence of obesity compared to the low tree nut consumers. This study was released January 8, 2014 by the journal PLOS ONE. The full study can be read online at http://tinyurl.com/kdtlwbm free of charge.