Nuts and Body Weight - An Overview

Abstract

Since obesity and overweight became health issues, tree nuts became considered as unhealthy, due to their high fat content. Their high energy density has been pointed as a major factor in body weight gain. However, nuts have been part of the traditional diet in many geographical areas for centuries and in the last decades various laboratory assays, as well as epidemiological and clinical studies, substantiate that the regular intake of nuts is not a relevant factor influencing body lipid accumulation. This paper describes various mechanisms of action proposed to explain the effect of nuts on the regulation of body weight that are currently under examination.