Do almonds have anti-obesity properties? Original paper

In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, supplementation with almonds improved some anthropometric outcomes and reduced hunger.

The effect of supplementation with almonds on anthropometric outcomes (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and visceral fat) and appetite-related outcomes (hunger, desire to eat, fullness, and prospective food consumption).

A total of 2,728 men and women (average ages of 18–74; average BMI of 22.6–38), including adults without apparent health conditions and adults with type 2 diabetes/prediabetes, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease.

A meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled trials was performed. Twenty-two trials were conducted in the United States, 2 trials each were conducted in Iran, China, India, and Brazil, and 1 trial each was conducted in Spain, Pakistan, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Korea, and the United Kingdom. In most trials, the average daily intake of almonds ranged from 10 to 100 grams. The comparators included nut-free diets, other nuts, and snacks. The intervention duration ranged from 3 weeks to 18 months.

Supplementation with almonds reduced body weight by 0.45 kg, waist circumference by 0.67 cm, and hunger by 1.15 mm (on a 100-mm visual analogue scale). The certainty of evidence was moderate for body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass and low for all other outcomes.

In subgroup analyses, supplementation with almonds reduced body weight and waist circumference in trials with a duration of 12 weeks or longer, in trials that recruited participants with a BMI less than 30, in trials that administered 50 grams or more of almonds daily, and in trials that compared almond supplementation to a nut-free diet.