12.9g of nuts thrice a week can prevent metabolic syndrome in teens

Do you like snacking on nuts but stay away from them due to various health risks and high number of calories associated with them? Well, nuts are not only an excellent snack but they also provide instant energy and also suppress your cravings for something crunchy and tasty. As per popular belief, they may have underlying side effects like acidity, but a new study gives more reasons to continue snacking on them and highlights the benefits of snacking on nuts in teens.

How can teens benefit from eating nuts?

The study indicates that moderate consumption of nuts improves cardiovascular risk profile and prevents metabolic syndrome in teens.

Ideally how many nuts should teenagers consume?

According to the study, teenagers who reaped the benefits of eating a handful of nuts or around 12.9 grams of nuts, at least thrice a week had fewer chances of developing metabolic syndrome when compared to adolescents who did not eat nuts at all. Metabolic syndrome is a symptom of increased the risk of early heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (Read: Can people with hypertension eat nuts?)

How was the study conducted?

The studywas conducted on 2,233 U.S. adolescents between the ages 12 to 19 years, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2003 and 2010.(Read: 7 ways you can make your teen eat healthy)

What are the findings of the study?

According to the lead investigator Roy Kim, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health in Dallas, it was surprising to find that majority of teens eat no nuts at all on a typical day, irrespective of being aware about their health benefits. The researchers discovered that metabolic syndrome risk decreased with each additional gram per day of nut intake, but only up to 50 g/day (about 1.8 ounces), when the benefit tapered off. Kim theorized that at higher intakes, any benefits may have been offset by eating too many calories.

What does the study conclude?

Since metabolic syndrome is a major public health problem, the findings of the study only show a co-relation between eating nuts and the syndrome. They do not prove that eating nuts would reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome in teens. However, the results suggest the possibility that a simple dietary recommendation could have a significant impact on the metabolic health of adolescents.

There is a variety of nuts easily available. But all of them differ in their properties and have different kinds of benefits. You may like to read about the healthiest nuts and their benefits.

Image source: Getty images

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