A large-scale long-term observational study by the Harvard scientific research team found that replacing high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie foods with a small number of nuts (such as Almonds, Macadamia nuts, Pecan nuts and Cashew nuts, etc.) .

The researches collected information on weight, eating habits and physical activity of 52,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75, 122,000 middle-aged women between the ages of 35 and 55, and 117,000 young and middle-aged women between the ages of 24 and 44 from the American Health Professionals follow-up study. During the more than 20 years of follow-up, the three groups gainer an average of 0.32 kilograms a year. The results of comparative analysis showed that half a serving of nuts (about 14 grams) one day instead of processed meat, refined cereals or desserts could reduce the natural weight gain by 0.41 kg to 0.70 kg. After taking into account variables such as diet and lifestyle (such as exercise and drinking), this conclusion is still valid. The findings are published in the 《British Journal of Medicine in Nutrition, Prevention and Health》.

High levels of dietary fiber in nuts can delay gastric emptying, thus prolonging satiety, the researchers said. In addition, chewing nuts is a bit laborious, which to some extent reduces people’s energy to eat other foods. Therefore, replacing unhealthy foods with nuts is a simple and effective strategy to prevent “the older, the fatter”.