A study presented for the Experimental Biology conference in Washington, D.C. in April argued why pistachios could be the ideal snack for anybody seeking to slim down. The investigation uncovered that doesn’t all the nuts’ fat is absorbed by your body, which makes them reduced calories than was once thought. The findings work against the idea that nuts are far too calorie-dense and rich in fat to ensure they are good weight-loss aids.
“What we found is the fact that when individuals consume the nuts, all of the fat wasn’t absorbed by the body and then the calories weren’t all accessible to the entire body,” lead author Dr. David Baer told. Researchers placed 52 obese and overweight subjects on diets which were 500 calories lower than they generally ate. Half were assigned to a group that ate pretzels being a snack, and as well other group snacked on pistachios. After 12 weeks, the pistachio group had better results in reaching their weight-loss goals.

Nuts can also be highly nourishing, unlike many snacks including chips or pretzels. “Pistachios are a good way to obtain much of the key nutrients which are reduced plenty of diets,” said Dr. Baer. Pistachios are full of healthy fats, protein, minerals and antioxidants.

The shells also may help to curb mindless eating. Behavioral eating expert James Painter, Ph.D., R.D., for the School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University found that individuals who ate pistachios served along with shells on felt full earlier than people who received the nuts with no shell, since the act of shelling the nut results in more “mindful” snacking. He found that participants who needed to shell their nuts consumed 42 percent less calories.

In another study, Painter found that individuals who left the pistachio shells on their workspace consumed 22 percent fewer calories compared to those who had these “reminders of consumption” removed. “This is in preserving existing research showing that whenever an individual has visual cues of ‘leftovers,’ like pistachio shells, they are able to observe how many or just how much they’ve eaten, assisting to control portion size and consumption,” he was quoted saying.

“Some of the research that’s recently been completed with nuts demonstrates individuals who eat nuts generally possess a lower body mass index than those who don’t,” Dr. Baer explained. He admitted that there might be some confounding factors, explaining that men and women who include nuts into their diet may follow a healthier diet overall. Nevertheless, he adds that including pistachios in what you eat is “one method to move towards a healthier dietary pattern.”

We are all aware that every snacks have to be enjoyed with a few level of portion control. Dr. Baer concluded, “I believe that a great way that individuals can use this research is to see the food label, understand how many calories they’re eating and consider pistachios like a healthy snack.”