Almonds may offer appetite-regulating benefits during long-term weight maintenance, according to a new randomized controlled trial in adults with overweight or obesity.
Over a 9-month intervention, participants followed energy-restricted diets that included either almonds or carbohydrate-rich snack bars. While both groups achieved similar weight loss and reduced energy intake, the almond group showed more favorable changes in key appetite-related hormones. Ghrelin (a hunger hormone) decreased over time in the almond group but increased in the snack bar group, while leptin (linked to satiety) showed a greater increase during weight maintenance with almonds.
The almond group also had consistently higher levels of glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide—hormones linked to satiety and appetite control—with post-meal increases in glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) observed at some time points.
These findings point to the potential value of almonds in supporting appetite control and weight maintenance over time.
The Almond Board of California provided funding for this study as well as almonds for consumption.
Carter, S., Hill, A. M., Buckley, J. D., Tan, S. Y., Rogers, G. B., & Coates, A. M. (2026). Appetite regulation following energy restriction with almond-enriched vs. nut-free diets – a randomised controlled trial. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, S1871-403X(26)00028-1. Advance online publication.
