Participants who ate almonds saw greater improvements in key lipoprotein subfractions
A recent study published in Obesity evaluated weight and cardiometabolic outcomes after a three-month energy-restricted diet (−30%) containing either almonds or carbohydrate-rich snacks (phase 1), followed by six months of weight maintenance (phase 2).
This nine-month, randomized controlled, parallel-arm dietary intervention included 140 overweight or obese participants. Participants were randomly assigned to eat either an almond-enriched diet (in which 15% of their energy intake comprised unsalted whole almonds with skins) or a nut-free control diet (in which 15% of their energy intake comprised carbohydrate-rich snacks such as rice crackers or baked cereal bars). A total of 106 participants completed both phases of the study.
Both groups saw a reduction in body weight of approximately 9.3% over the course of the trial. However, the almond group also saw statistically significant changes in some highly atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions, which in the longer term may lead to improved cardiometabolic health. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that nuts can support a healthy diet for weight management.
This study was funded by the Almond Board of California.
Carter, S., Hill, A. M., Mead, L. C., Wong, H. Y., Yandell, C., Buckley, J. D., Tan, S. Y., Rogers, G. B., Fraysse, F., & Coates, A. M. (2023). Almonds vs. carbohydrate snacks in an energy-restricted diet: Weight and cardiometabolic outcomes from a randomized trial. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 31(10), 2467–2481.