2 bags (35 grams) of lightly salted peanuts eaten twice daily resulted in similar weight loss as a low-fat diet. Systolic blood pressure was lower in the groups consuming peanuts. Peanuts and a calorie-restricted diet can improve cardiovascular risk factors and health.
KETO SNACK FOR FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUMMARY
- Peanuts are a great keto snack for weight loss
- 2 bags (35 grams) of lightly salted peanuts eaten twice daily resulted in similar weight loss as a low-fat diet.
- Systolic blood pressure was lower in the groups consuming peanuts.
- Peanuts and a calorie-restricted diet can improve cardiovascular risk factors and health.
- Whole peanuts have better appetite and satiety effects than peanut butter.
When following a calorie-restricted diet, high-calorie foods are often recommended to be eliminated. Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and peanuts are high in calories but have considerable health benefits.
Nuts are an excellent source of nutrients and antioxidants and have been shown to lower cardiovascular disease, blood sugar levels, and type 2 diabetes as part of a healthy diet. (Afshin et al., 2014) Furthermore, nuts have been shown to result in reduced appetite. (Tan et al., 2014)
Tree nuts have protein, heart-healthy fats, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. Nuts vary in fat content source (i.e., monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), fiber, and polyphenols. Nuts are a great snack for those following a keto diet, but they can but used as a healthy snack, but portion size is key.
NUTS/PEANUTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND APPETITE REGULATION
All forms of nuts can enhance satiety resulting in greater fullness. One study found that 4 days of walnuts given to dieting subjects increased fasting satiety and fullness levels. (Tan et al., 2014) A large-scale study found that replacing other food items with nuts showed a small, nonsignificant reduction in body weight and BMI compared to regular food.(Flores-Mateo et al., 2013)
PEANUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER? WHICH IS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Another study found that mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts) compared to pretzels as a snack resulted in similar weight loss. However, mixed buts resulted in better appetite control, decreased heart rate, and increased serum oleic acid (i.e., blood oleic is associated with decreased heart disease) during weight maintenance. (Wang et al., 2021)
IS PEANUT BUTTER GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Whenever peanuts are discussed, people immediately ask about our favorite snack: peanut butter!! Everyone wants to know if they can consume peanut butter while following their diet. Absolutely! If you track your diet, you can have peanut butter and still lose weight; however, peanut butter and nut butter have different appetite regulation effects than whole nuts.
Eating peanut butter resulted in a smaller suppression of hunger and greater hunger rebound (180 min post-ingestion) compared to regular peanuts. (Kirkmeyer & Mattes, 2000) Another study found that when subjects were on a diet, peanut butter resulted in more calories consumed (151%) than whole peanuts (104%) (Stunkard & Messick, 1985) Almond butter also resulted in lower appetite regulation than whole almonds. (Mori et al., 2011) Note: Ensure you get the no added sugar peanut butter for those on a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
KETO SNACK FOR FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Most large-scale studies have found that whole nuts are not associated with weight gain. (Guarneiri & Cooper, 2021; Levine & Silvis, 1980) Contrary to this, a study showed weight gain and fat gain occurred when athletes were overfed on peanut butter. (Antonio et al., 2018)
These studies suggest it is easier to overconsume calories in nut butter compared to whole nuts. Keep in mind that calories are king. One study found that consuming walnuts in excess resulted in increased weight gain.(Sabaté et al., 2005)
It has been hypothesized that compared to nut butter, such as peanut butter, whole peanuts, and other nuts have more fiber, take longer to digest, and may not be fully absorbed. For example, one study found that nut excretion in feces was 17.8% for whole peanuts, 7.0% for peanut butter, and 4.5% for peanut oil. (Levine & Silvis, 1980) This suggests that whole nuts are less absorbed than nut butter and oil and pass thru the GI tract resulting in fewer calories consumed. Thus, peanuts are a better keto snack for weight loss than peanut butter.
ARE PEANUTS KETO-FRIENDLY?
Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and peanuts on keto are allowed. The high fat and protein content of nuts may contribute to satiety and the success of a weight loss program. Most articles on the web tend to suggest that peanuts are less healthy than other nuts. Some have suggested less weight loss with peanuts than with other nuts.
Here are a few studies that have found peanuts can be healthy as part of a well-balanced diet.
1.) Subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomized to consume a low-carb diet with an equal dose of peanuts or almonds. The subjects replaced one of their food starches with the peanut/almond snack to make sure they were in calorie balance. At the end of the 3-month trial, neither group had an increase in body weight. Similar differences were noted for the peanut and almond groups for blood lipids and decreased blood glucose. (Hou et al., 2018)
2.) A recent study by Dr. Kristina Petersen from the University of South Australia had subjects placed on a diet for six months. One group of subjects received 2 bags (35 grams) of salted, dry-roasted peanuts twice daily before meals. The other group was allowed more carbohydrates to match the two groups’ calories but no nuts or nut butter. Both groups lost an identical amount of weight loss, but the peanut group significantly reduced systolic blood pressure. (Petersen et al., 2022)
In summary, nuts contain nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats. They are a great keto snack for weight loss. You can still have your favorite nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter while dieting, but make sure you are below your calorie balance to stay lean.
REFERENCES
Afshin, A., Micha, R., Khatibzadeh, S., & Mozaffarian, D. (2014). Consumption of nuts and legumes and risk of incident ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis1,2,3,4. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100(1), 278-288. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.076901
Antonio, J., Axelrod, C. H., Ellerbroek, A., Carson, C., Burgess, V., Silver, T. A., & Peacock, C. A. (2018). The Effect of Peanut Butter Overfeeding in Trained Men and Women : A Pilot Trial Research.
Flores-Mateo, G., Rojas-Rueda, D., Basora, J., Ros, E., & Salas-Salvadó, J. (2013). Nut intake and adiposity: meta-analysis of clinical trials. Am J Clin Nutr, 97(6), 1346-1355. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.031484
Guarneiri, L. L., & Cooper, J. A. (2021). Intake of Nuts or Nut Products Does Not Lead to Weight Gain, Independent of Dietary Substitution Instructions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials. Advances in Nutrition, 12(2), 384-401. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa113
Hou, Y. Y., Ojo, O., Wang, L. L., Wang, Q., Jiang, Q., Shao, X. Y., & Wang, X. H. (2018). A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare the Effect of Peanuts and Almonds on the Cardio-Metabolic and Inflammatory Parameters in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Nutrients, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111565
REFERENCES
Kirkmeyer, S. V., & Mattes, R. D. (2000). Effects of food attributes on hunger and food intake. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 24(9), 1167-1175. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801360
Levine, A. S., & Silvis, S. E. (1980). Absorption of whole peanuts, peanut oil, and peanut butter. N Engl J Med, 303(16), 917-918. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm198010163031605
Mori, A. M., Considine, R. V., & Mattes, R. D. (2011). Acute and second-meal effects of almond form in impaired glucose tolerant adults: a randomized crossover trial. Nutr Metab (Lond), 8(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-8-6
Petersen, K. S., Murphy, J., Whitbread, J., Clifton, P. M., & Keogh, J. B. (2022). The Effect of a Peanut-Enriched Weight Loss Diet Compared to a Low-Fat Weight Loss Diet on Body Weight, Blood Pressure, and Glycemic Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 14(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142986
REFERENCES
Sabaté, J., Cordero-Macintyre, Z., Siapco, G., Torabian, S., & Haddad, E. (2005). Does regular walnut consumption lead to weight gain? Br J Nutr, 94(5), 859-864. https://doi.org/10.1079/bjn20051567
Stunkard, A. J., & Messick, S. (1985). The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res, 29(1), 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(85)90010-8
Tan, S. Y., Dhillon, J., & Mattes, R. D. (2014). A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight1,2,3. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100, S412-S422. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071456
Wang, J., Wang, S., Henning, S. M., Qin, T., Pan, Y., Yang, J., Huang, J., Tseng, C.-H., Heber, D., & Li, Z. (2021). Mixed Tree Nut Snacks Compared to Refined Carbohydrate Snacks Resulted in Weight Loss and Increased Satiety during Both Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance: A 24-Week Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 13(5), 1512. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/5/1512
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