Snacking on nuts may be the key to avoiding the gradual weight gain that can come with aging, according to recent research. A study from Harvard finds that increasing nut consumption by just half a serving a day is linked to less weight gain and a lower risk of obesity.
The large, long-term observational study followed the self-reported dietary habits of more than 289,000 Americans over 24 years. Every four years they shared how often they ate nuts and how much they weighed and researchers found participants who ate at least half a serving of nuts a day kept more weight off. Across the board, people had an average weight gain of .71-pounds a year, but those who snacked on nuts avoided an extra 1.6-pounds over four years and had a 16% lower chance of becoming obese.
It seems all kinds of nuts do the trick, but peanut butter didn’t have the same effect for avoiding weight gain. But half a serving of nuts is only an eighth of a cup, which isn’t much, and it could help you better maintain weight for the long-haul.
Source: PopSugar