New research: Nuts contain up to 26% less calories than we thought they did

Triathlon Nutrition Academy

New research highlights the actual energy (kcal/kJ) absorbed from nuts was significantly less than what’s on the food label.

The energy content of all food globally is done using the Atwater System - a system founded more than 120 years ago by Wilbur Atwater.

But this system is flawed - it doesn’t take into consideration what happens inside our gut and how our body metabolises food.

Nuts and seeds have a tough fibrous exterior. We don’t fully break them down to extract the energy from them or absorb the fat. A portion remains ‘locked’ into their fibrous cell walls and excreted out.

In a new systematic review (presented at the Dietitians Australia conference but not yet published) from the research team at the University of Wollongong, 21 published studies on the topic were pulled together to summarise what we know so far.

They discovered that:

• Almonds had 18.5 kilojoules per gram - 26% less than measured by the Atwater system
• Walnuts had 21.8 kilojoules per gram – 22% less than measured by the Atwater system
• Cashews had 20.5 kilojoules per gram - 14% less than measured by the Atwater system
• Pistachios had 22.6 kilojoules per gram - 5% less than measured by the Atwater system

Which is an important reminder that calorie counting should be used as a tool rather than a strict mandate.

So don’t be afraid to start including a healthy 30g (1.06 ounce) serving of mixed nuts and seeds on a daily basis!

LINKS:

For more on why I don’t think you need to calorie count as a triathlete, listen to Episode 59 HERE

Read the 2012 study on almonds HERE

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