Nutty Fashion: Incorporating Nuts into Your Diet for a Stylish Metabolism
Sweet and Sensible Replacing Your Afternoon Snack with Nuts May Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk, According to New Study
Study finds swapping in nuts for your afternoon snack can reduce metabolic syndrome risk.
Image by Nadine Greeff / Stocksy
There’s no shortage of nutrition advice out there when it comes to eating right and feeling your best, but if there’s one thing that research consistently finds to be true, it’s that nuts are a great edition to a well-rounded diet. In fact, according to new research published in the journal Nutrients, snacking on nuts could even be a way to curb metabolic syndrome risk in young adults. Here’s what they found.
Studying nut consumption and metabolic syndrome risk
For this study, researchers from Vanderbilt University wanted to assess how nut consumption might influence metabolic syndrome risk. Metabolic syndrome includes a number of different conditions like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, etc., which are all associated with a higher risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
They conducted a randomized intervention trial that lasted 16 weeks, with 84 young adults between the ages of 22 and 26 that had BMIs above the healthy range.
All the participants had to do? Swap a typical carb-heavy afternoon snack for tree nuts. More specifically, the tree nuts snacks were comprised of a ¼ cup of unsalted raw cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds.
And after the 16 weeks, researchers observed their hypothesis prove correct. Compared to those not eating nuts, the female participants snacking on nuts saw a reduction in waist circumference and visceral fat, while the male participants saw lowered blood insulin levels and triglycerides (AKA body fat).
Overall, swapping in nuts for an otherwise carb-heavy snack helped women reduce their metabolic syndrome risk by 67%, and men, 42%.
What to do about it
According to the study authors, their findings suggest that daily tree nut consumption can help reduce metabolic syndrome risk by “improving waist circumference, lipid biomarkers, and/or insulin sensitivity—without requiring caloric restriction.”
And that’s good news for anyone who wants to mind their metabolic health. After all, metabolic syndrome affects one in every three people here in the U.S., and it’s a major risk factor for serious diseases.
Plus, considering nuts are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, minding your metabolic health is just one more reason to include them in your daily diet.
The takeaway
There are so many reasons to incorporate more nuts into your diet, and this research can be added to the list. With just a quarter cup a day for 16 weeks, this research says, you could significantly lower your metabolic syndrome risk with no other dietary changes.
So, fashionistas, it’s time to go nutty and embrace the stylish world of nutritious snacking. Not only will you be satisfying your taste buds, but you’ll also be boosting your metabolism in the trendiest way possible. Remember, a little nuttiness never hurt anyone; in fact, it might just be the key to a healthier, more fabulous you.
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