

It’s not clear why this is, but it may be partly due to the healthier lifestyle choices of those who eat nuts. Several large observational studies have found that more frequent nut consumption is associated with a lower body weight ( 12, 13, 21, 22). In some cases, they protect against weight gain.

Studies have found that eating nuts regularly does not promote weight gain, regardless of whether people follow a strict diet or eat as they please. However, any increase in weight was very small, much lower than expected and tended to be insignificant in the long term. That said, a small number of studies have reported that eating nuts was associated with an increase in body weight ( 19, 20). More importantly, in studies where nuts were added to the diets of people who were able to eat as they liked, nut consumption did not lead to weight gain ( 17, 18). In controlled studies where participants had to stick to a strict diet, the addition of many different types of nuts did not cause changes in body weight ( 15, 16). It found that those who ate two or more portions of nuts a week had a 31% lower risk of weight gain, compared to those who never or rarely ate them ( 10).Īlso, a review of 36 studies found that regularly consuming nuts was not linked to an increase in weight, body mass index (BMI) or waist size ( 14). Several observational studies have found that regularly eating nuts is not associated with weight gain and may even prevent it ( 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).įor example, one study looked at the diets of 8,865 men and women over 28 months. Even small portions are high in fat and calories. Nuts are high in calories since they are high in fat, a concentrated source of energy. However, as discussed below, scientific studies do not support this. Cashews: 155 calories and 12 grams fat ( 8)īecause they are high in fat and calories, many people assume that adding nuts to their diet will lead to weight gain.Pistachios: 156 calories and 12 grams of fat ( 7).Almonds: 161 calories and 14 grams of fat ( 6).Brazil nuts: 184 calories and 19 grams of fat ( 5).Walnuts: 183 calories and 18 grams of fat ( 4).The calorie and fat contents per one-ounce (28-gram) serving of some commonly eaten nuts are shown below: This type of fat is associated with protection against many different diseases, such as heart disease ( 3). One gram of fat contains 9 calories, while one gram of carbs or protein contains just 4 calories. This is because a large part of them is fat, which is a concentrated source of energy.
