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Good news: Nuts and almonds are less fat than we thought

16.01.2020 | מאת: Eli Israeli, Director of Lorem

Although almonds and nuts are known for their tremendous contribution to health, many people are concerned about choking them because of their calorie and fat content. Now it turns out they cost us less calories than is commonly thought. Here are all the details.

The importance of almonds and nuts

Various almonds and nuts have a lot of health benefits. A handful of almonds, for example, is rich in proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eating almonds has been found in studies to contribute to a feeling of satiety over time, improving heart health, and balancing sugar levels. The minerals and vitamins in the tonsils help to build bones and help nerve function and regulate blood pressure. In addition, almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, which protects against damage from UV rays as well as from Alzheimer’s.

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Almonds get less fat than we thought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been researching humans for 6 years and has revealed that we do not absorb all the calories that nuts have. In other words, our body does not absorb the full-fat content of the nuts, and some of it passes through the digestive system and is emitted in the feces. The amount of calories we absorb from eating nuts is estimated to be about 15 to 25 percent less than previously thought.

This data has been available for a while now but has gone under the radar, while a healthy snack company called The Kind snack has announced that it is changing its nutritional and calorie count in its products to fit the new, more optimistic ones. For example, nuts and their bitter chocolate weighs 40 grams, now contain 180 calories, instead of 200.

“You can eat a few more nuts without feeling guilty,” biologist David Barr, who led the study, told Insider. He explained that we do not chew the nuts completely, so some parts of them just pass as they are through our digestive tract. “Not all the calories are absorbed,” he explained, making it clear that he himself is now reluctant to eat a few more nuts.

It should be noted that the reason nuts are not fully absorbed is that they are not fully chewed, so almond and peanut butter, or foods that have almonds and nuts are well-grated, do provide more calories.

Need another reason to eat more nuts?

Need another example? Pistachios contain healthy fats, omega 3s, proteins, vitamins, minerals, calcium, zinc, and iron. A handful of pistachios contains close to one-third of the daily vitamin B6 required intake and 15 percent of the manganese mineral’s daily intake, 21 percent of the thiamine (B1), and 41 percent of the copper and 11 percent of the phosphorus. A Harvard University study released several months ago found that increasing daily nutritional intake can help lose weight and prevent obesity. The researchers found that increasing the nut consumption by only half a serving (14 grams) a day was associated with a lower risk of raising two pounds or more in any 4-year period. And a half-daily increase in nut consumption was associated with a 15 percent lower risk of obesity.