WASHINGTON D.C: People who regularly eat nuts — peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts — are less likely to be overweight or obese, said a study.
According to researchers, those who consume the healthy snack were found to have a five percent lower risk of carrying extra pounds, compared to those who did not.
The findings indicated that participants, in their study, gained an average of almost five pounds by the end of five years, but those who eat nuts routinely gained less weight.
The study's senior investigator Dr Joan Sabaté from Loma Linda University’s school of public health in California suggested that nuts should replace animal fats.
The authors suggested that putting them at the centre of your plate to replace animal products may be more satiating.
Researchers from the university and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) examined the diets and weight of 3,73,000 adults aged between 25 and 70 from 10 European countries.
A serving of mixed nuts typically contains just 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
Sabaté stated that they also provide a healthy dose of protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that can help boost energy.
Nuts have also been linked to producing healthy aging benefits in seniors in a previous study by Dr Sabaté.
Nuts that were included in this study were peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
Experts say that vegan diets can be perfectly healthy – but they can cause serious health risks if they are not varied and balanced enough to ensure you're getting all the right nutrients.
Furthermore, French scientists revealed last month that consuming processed meat can even worsen symptoms of asthma.
The research appears in the European Journal of Nutrition.