Will I lose weight when eating nuts?

Answer:

There are many types of nuts being advertised as a replacement of main meals that help eaters maintain their figures, lose weight, lower their blood fat level, and so on.

However, customers should be careful with these advertisements, since nuts are indeed good for health, but only when being consumed at a certain level.

Generally, nuts contain a high amount of energy. On average, 100 grams of nuts provide between 500 and 600 calories, which equals three bowls of cooked white rice.

Moreover, some types of nuts like sunflower seeds, cashews, and macadamias contain high fat levels and may not have any benefits in weight loss as well as cause imbalanced nutrition.

Because of that, eating too many nuts can lead to digestive problems such as bloating, indigestion, and a feeling of being inactive.

Nuts are beneficial for health given that they are consumed at a certain level. Photo illustration by Freepik

Nuts cannot replace carbohydrates or vegetables and fruits in daily meals either. According to nutrition experts, people should take in nutrition from various food sources. Eating nuts only may cause malnutrition, which in turn leads to diseases.

Those who want to lose weight should combine both adapting diet plans and doing exercises. Regarding diet plans, you should limit your intake of fat and salt by eating boiled and steamed dishes instead of their stir-fried and deep-fried counterparts. You should not eat dinner late either.

An active lifestyle is recommended for those who want to lose weight as well. For example, you can consider taking up jogging or running, as the most important principle in losing weight is burning more calories than the amount you take in your body.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung

National Institute of Nutrition