While maintaining a healthy weight may be your best defense against metabolic syndrome, not everyone can–or wants–to lose weight, according to health experts. New research from St. Michael’s Hospital in Canada reveals that you may not need to lose weight to avoid this potentially fatal problem, however.
The research, led by Dr. John Sievenpiper, says that those who ate tree nuts reduced two of the five markers linked to metabolic syndrome–including a reduction in blood sugars and blood fats known as “triglycerides.”
Left untreated, metabolic syndrome can lead to heart disease.
“The biggest reductions in triglycerides and blood glucose were seen when tree nuts replaced refined carbohydrates rather than saturated fats,” says Sievenpiper, who serves as a physician at the St. Michael’s Hospital’s Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre. “There was no adverse impact on the other risk factors for metabolic syndrome or weight gain, even though nuts are high in calories.”
Conducting a meta-analysis, or the analysis of several studies to find common trends, Sievenpiper initially looked over 2,000 peer-reviewed studies, eventually narrowing down his search to 49 studies. These studies in particular looked at the consumption of tree nuts and its health effects in people of different sizes, including those at risk of metabolic syndrome.
From his research, Sievenpiper was able to determine that eating between 50 to 56 grams of tree nuts every day–around a 1/2 cup–reduced blood sugar and triglyceride levels, two factors linked to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. However, he notes that most Americans only eat around half of this amount–which might explain why so many Americans have metabolic syndrome.
“People in North America consume on average less than one serving a day, so this is one way they can adapt their diets to take advantage of the metabolic benefits,” says Sievenpiper. “Fifty grams of nuts can be easily integrated into a diet as a snack or as a substitute for animal fats or refined carbohydrates.”
What You Should Do
While tree nuts may provide benefits that lower the risk of metabolic syndrome, it doesn’t lower its biggest risk factor–obesity. And overdoing your consumption of tree nuts isn’t hard to do, since they often pack a lot of calories, no thanks to its high fat content.
The key here, say researchers, is moderation.
“While nuts are high in fat, it’s healthy unsaturated fat and while they can also be high in calories, participants in the clinical trials did not gain weight,” says Sievenpiper.
To lower your risk of metabolic syndrome–and in turn, your risk of heart disease–adding a 1/2 cup serving of tree nuts to your daily diet couldn’t hurt. Keep in mind these nuts aren’t calorie free however–indulge too much and you’ll gain weight as well, which may actually increase your risk of metabolic syndrome.
Readers: Are nuts a part of your diet? Why or why not?
Sources:
Study: Eating Tree Nuts May Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome – ScienceDaily.com
Consuming Tree Nuts Reduces Two of Five Factors Indicated in Heightened Metabolic Syndrome Risk – StMichaelsHospital.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.