Few 'walnuts' a day can keep extra kilos at bay

Things just got nuttier! Move over salads and green tea as a new study has found that a walnut-rich diet can help you shed those extra kilos.

The University of California study found that a diet containing unsaturated fats, such as those found in walnuts and olive oil, has similar weight loss effects as a lower fat, higher-carbohydrate diet.

The research, led by Cheryl Rock, also showed that a diet containing walnuts, which are primarily comprised of polyunsaturated fats, positively impacts heart health markers, such as cholesterol.

Rock said that considering the results of this study, as well as previous walnut research on heart health and weight, there's something to be said for eating a handful of walnuts a day.

In addition to these findings, researchers hope to explore the effect of walnuts on satiety, which is a critical factor for maintaining weight loss, added Rock.

The study involved 245 overweight and obese women between the ages of 22 and 72. Those prescribed the walnut-rich diet consumed about 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.