A recent study said,  despite their high calorie counts, daily doses of nuts might help people keep off excess weight, especially when nuts are substituted for less healthy foods.  

Researchers followed 126,190 healthy middle-aged adults for 20 to 24 years. At the start, participants were typically at a healthy weight or slightly overweight. By the end of the study, about 17% of participants had become obese.

People who increased their total nut consumption by a half-serving a day (14 grams, or about half an ounce) were 3% less likely to become obese, researchers report in The BMJ. Boosting daily walnut consumption by a similar amount was associated with a 15% lower obesity risk, while adding tree nuts like cashews and almonds was tied to an 11% lower obesity risk.

A senior study author Deirdre Tobias of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston said increasing nuts in the diet may help maintain a healthy body weight in several ways.

 Tobias advised to get the most health benefit from eating more nuts, people should avoid nuts coated with salt and sugar.

NNR/Karrar