Nuts and guts

Look at the nutrition facts on a package of nuts, especially the calorie and fat content, and you might think, “Eating nuts=weight gain.” But the opposite is true, according to Berkeley Wellness, a collaboration between UC Berkeley and a team of national writers. When added to a regular diet—even without cutting back on other sources of calories—nuts don’t cause weight gain, and when added to a calorie-controlled diet, they may actually help with weight loss. What’s the deal? Well, the fiber and protein in nuts helps you feel full longer, and some research suggests that nuts cause a slight increase in the rate at which your body burns calories. Also, nuts are rich in heart-friendly unsaturated fats, and you might not absorb all of the fat in whole nuts, anyway—some research finds that as much as 17 percent of it passes through the body undigested.