When you’re trying to get lean, there is no reason to fear the fat in nuts like almonds. An investigation published in The Journal of Nutrition randomly assigned 86 adults to one of two calorie-controlled diets: an almond-enriched diet (15 percent energy from almonds) or a nut-free diet with the same number of calories. After a three-month period, those who crunched on almonds daily experienced greater losses in body fat and visceral adipose tissue — a particularly dangerous form of intra-abdominal body fat. Similar fat-loss benefits have also been shown with frequent walnut consumption. Nuts are bundles of unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that likely work together to burn chub. Also of importance in the battle of the bulge is the recent evidence that the fat in nuts is located inside cells that appear to resist complete breakdown during digestion. So some of the fatty calories in nuts remain in the cells and, in turn, are not available to be stored by our bodies. This explains why the calorie count of nuts is actually lower than what you would read on food labels. A handful of nuts makes a satisfying snack option, or add them more often to salads, oatmeal, yogurt and even protein shakes.
