Proven: Walnuts make you feel fuller

Walnuts are full of nutrients linked to better health. They are also thought to help you feel fuller. But until now it was not known why. In a new brain imaging study, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have shown that consuming nuts activates an area in the brain associated with regulating hunger and cravings. For the first time the real impact of walnuts has been seen. Confirming what had already been reported previously. The study was led by Christos Mantzoros, MD, DSc, PhD hc mult, director of the Human Nutrition Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe how nuts impact brain activity. Scientists recruited 10 volunteers with obesity to live within the BIDMC Clinical Research Center (CRC) for two five-day sessions. The controlled environment of the CRC allowed the researchers to keep control over the volunteers’ diet. And not rely on the often unreliable records of volunteers. A drawback to many nutritional observation studies. During a five-day session, volunteers consumed daily smoothies containing 48 grams of nuts. During their other stay at the CRC, they received a nut-free placebo smoothie. But nutritionally comparable and with the same flavor. The sessions were random. Meaning that some participants consumed nuts first and others the placebo. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew during which session they consumed the nut smoothie. Study participants were shown images of desirable foods such as hamburgers and desserts, neutral objects such as flowers and rocks, and less desirable foods such as vegetables, while connected to the machinery. When shown images of desirable foods, MRI showed increased activity in a part of the brain called the right insula after the participants had consumed the nutty smoothies. Compared to when they hadn’t. This eliminated ambiguity regarding the results. When the participants ate nuts, this part of the brain lit up and they knew it was linked to the part that controls feelings of being full. Similar studies could reveal how other foods and compounds, such as natural hormones, affect appetite control centers in the brain. Future research could eventually lead to new treatments for obesity. If you have a patient who struggles with their cravings, it is best to recommend some nuts so that they can better control themselves. If you want to read the original article, just click here: http://www.bidmc.org/News/PRLandingPage/2017/August/Farr.aspx