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In the study, women were instructed to eat 344 calories worth of almonds(slightly more than 2 ounces) every day for one 10-week period, and then eattheir customary diet for another ten weeks. The women did not gain weightduring the period they consumed almonds. In addition, because of the highvitamin E and magnesium content in almonds, they met the daily dietaryrecommendations for those two nutrients that most Americans don't consume inadequate amounts.
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The researchers determined that the study participants felt satisfied, sothey naturally compensated for most of the calories in almonds by replacingother foods in their normal daily diet with the almonds. They also noted adecrease in total carbohydrate intake, suggesting almonds may have replacedcarbohydrate-rich foods.
Additionally, the researchers found that the fiber in almonds appears toblock some of the fat they contain. So, in reality, almonds may provide fewercalories to the body than the amount the food label states. This raisesbroader questions about the availability of energy from foods, indicating thatmany may not actually deliver the amount listed on the nutrition facts label.
"Solid data has shown that eating one to three daily ounces of almonds canhelp lower LDL cholesterol levels," said study co-author Rick Mattes, Ph.D.,R.D. from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. "But many health careproviders have been hesitant to recommend almonds as a daily snack becausethey're a relatively high-calorie food and could contribute to weight gain.This study challenges that assumption. The study indicates that the nutritionfacts label may overstate the amount of energy available to the body fromeating almonds."
Study Details
The research team at Purdue conducted a study with 20 women, most of whomwere overweight. One group was instructed to eat a normal diet for 10 weeks,but make one change -- add 344 calories worth of almonds every day, slightlymore than two ounces. The other group was instructed to eat their customarydiet and no almonds. The groups then took a break for three weeks, andswitched, so the second group ate almonds and the first group ate none.Researchers measured body weight, metabolic rates, and physical activity atvarious points during the study. Compliance to almond consumption was assessedthrough diet records, as well as by measuring blood levels of vitamin E; thiswas because eating almonds, among the leading sources of vitamin E, has beenshown to increase vitamin E levels in the blood.
The researchers found that when people were eating the 344 calories worthof almonds every day, they were in total, only taking in an extra 77 calorieseach day. This is because the participants naturally compensated for thegreat majority of the calories in almonds, or about 74 percent, as they foundthe almonds satiating, or satisfying.
A further portion of these extra daily 77 calories was offset because thefiber structure of almonds blocked the fat in almonds from being fullyabsorbed. Also, although not statistically significant, the researchers notedan increase in energy expenditure through an increase in resting energyexpenditure, or the number of calories used while participants were at rest.Based on the various measures in the study, the researchers concluded that thecalories from almonds were compensated for by natural substitution
