Do Nuts Add to Increased Weight Gain?

I just received this recent study from my colleague and mentor, Dr. Frank Schallenberger that I wanted to share. As you know, most doctors - conventional and alternative - recommend eating nuts. But nuts contain a lot of calories - about 170 calories per ounce. And many people, including me, love to snack on them. So are these tasty treats making us fat?

The interesting thing is that studies using food diaries show that the more frequently people eat nuts, the less fat they are. So what's the deal?

Recently some researchers examined all the literature to date. They were looking to find some studies that put half of the participants on a diet high in nuts and the other half on a diet without nuts. All together they found a total of 33 studies that did just that. Then they added up the results.

They found that there was no difference in the people eating the nuts verses those not eating them. This was true not only for weight, but also for waist size. So nuts are not fattening. 

Most nuts are high in magnesium and vitamin E. Brazil nuts are particularly high in selenium which is often deficient. Low levels of selenium can lead to breast and prostate cancer. Walnuts are the only nuts that are high in the essential omega-3 fats.

The best way to eat nuts is raw. You can soak them overnight to help with optimal absorption. I prefer to eat mixed nuts to get the best balance of the various nutrients. And you can do so knowing they won't pack on the pounds. If you have a nut sensitivity, I can  help you with that using desensitization techniques as well as taking specific enzymes that help with breaking down the fats. If you have been cutting out this important nutrient, I encourage you to rethink it ... and feel free to go a little nutty!