Weight Loss for Peanuts?

To my surprise there is some truth to this nutty weight loss tip. The International Journal of Obesity has published three clinical studies regarding the satiety effects of peanuts. What these studies found was that people who eat peanuts or peanut butter have their hunger curbed much faster than when eating other foods.

The theory behind why peanuts help to satiate hunger may lie with their high unsaturated fat content. These unsaturated fats, including mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, reportedly have stronger satiety values than saturated fats and may help to control appetite and curb hunger. In people tested, peanuts and peanut butter produced more eating satisfaction and feelings of fullness than high-carbohydrate snacks.

Before you start buying up peanut stock hoping it will be the next weight loss breakthrough you should know that it only takes a small handful of peanuts to satiate your hunger. When hunger pangs hit between meals it is recommended that you eat no more than 10 peanuts (dry-roasted, unsalted). Each peanut should be eaten slowly and accompanied with water or a warm beverage such as tea or coffee. After eating all of the peanuts, wait up to 10 minutes for your hunger to subside.

Wow, now this is a weight loss tip I’m going to try because I love peanuts. At 60 calories for 10 peanuts it won’t ruin my daily calorie budget either. Although peanut butter has also been found to satiate hunger it is much higher in calories than peanuts (approx. 200 calories for 2 tablespoons) so I’ll stick to the whole, dry-roasted variety. Sorry to all of you who have peanut allergies, I guess you’ll have to stick to eating sardines.