Recap: Why nuts make you healthier | Professor Sarah Berry
Aug 20, 2024
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Join Professor Sarah Berry, a leading researcher in the health effects of nuts, as she dispels the myth that they’re bad for you due to fat content. She reveals how whole nuts can be surprisingly low in calories thanks to their cellular structure. Learn about their unique digestion process and how this influences nutrient absorption. Plus, Sarah shares practical tips on incorporating nuts into your diet for maximum health benefits. Get ready to rethink your snack choices!
Whole nuts' unique structure allows for reduced calorie absorption while providing health benefits, challenging common beliefs about high-calorie foods and weight gain.
Incorporating a variety of nuts into your diet can enhance overall health due to their rich profiles of healthy fats and polyphenols.
Deep dives
The Impact of Nut Structure on Calorie Absorption
The structure of nuts plays a significant role in how the body absorbs their calories. Whole nuts contain intact cell walls that hold fat globules, making the fat less digestible and therefore leading to about 30% fewer calories being absorbed than indicated on packaging. Research demonstrated that the mastication process affects how much fat is accessed; for example, during studies where participants chewed nuts and then spat them out, only a small percentage of fat was released before swallowing. This unique food matrix is what allows whole nuts to provide health benefits without contributing to weight gain, challenging the common belief that high-calorie foods inevitably lead to obesity.
Benefits of Including a Variety of Nuts in Your Diet
Incorporating a variety of nuts into one’s diet can lead to substantial health improvements due to their unique nutritional profiles. Despite some slight differences, all nuts are rich in healthy fats and polyphenols, making them valuable dietary components. Studies have shown that substituting traditional snacks with nuts can significantly enhance overall health, providing an alternative to less nutritious options. This diversity in nut consumption not only offers numerous health advantages but also keeps meals interesting and satisfying.
Today we’re discussing Nuts. If you’ve heard that nuts are bad for you because they’re full of fat, then, you’re in for a surprise. Professor Sarah Berry has led large scale human studies to uncover how nuts affect our health. And she’s here to tell us the healthiest way to incorporate them into your diet.
She'll also tell us about a new discovery that’ll help when you’re reading the nutrition information on the back of a nut packet.
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