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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Oct 19;18(20):10989.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010989.

Snacking on Almonds Lowers Glycaemia and Energy Intake Compared to a Popular High-Carbohydrate Snack Food: An Acute Randomised Crossover Study

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Snacking on Almonds Lowers Glycaemia and Energy Intake Compared to a Popular High-Carbohydrate Snack Food: An Acute Randomised Crossover Study

Rachel Brown et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Consuming nuts may have advantages over other snack foods for health and body-weight regulation. Suggested mechanisms include increased satiety and lower glycaemia. We used an acute randomised crossover trial to assess glycaemic and appetite responses to consuming two isocaloric snacks (providing 10% of participants' total energy requirements or 1030 kJ (equivalent to 42.5 g almonds), whichever provided greater energy): raw almonds and sweet biscuits among 100 participants with available data (25 males and 75 females) following 106 being randomised. Two hours after consuming a standardised breakfast, participants consumed the snack food. Finger-prick blood samples measuring blood glucose and subjective appetite ratings using visual analogue scales were taken at baseline and at 15 or 30 min intervals after consumption. Two hours after snack consumption, an ad libitum lunch was offered to participants and consumption was recorded. Participants also recorded food intake for the remainder of the day. The mean area under the blood glucose response curve was statistically and practically significantly lower for almonds than biscuits (mean (95% CI) difference: 53 mmol/L.min (45, 61), p < 0.001). Only the composite appetite score at 90 min was higher in the almond treatment compared to the biscuit treatment (45.7 mm vs. 42.4 mm, p = 0.035 without adjustment for multiple comparisons). There was no evidence of differences between the snacks for all other appetite ratings or for energy intake at the ad libitum lunch. However, mean energy intakes following snack consumption were significantly lower, both statistically and in practical terms, for the almond treatment compared to the biscuit (mean (95% CI) diff: 638 kJ (44, 1233), p = 0.035). Replacing popular snacks with almonds may have advantages in terms of glycaemia and energy balance.

Keywords: almonds; appetite; energy intake; nuts; postprandial glycaemic response; satiety; snack foods.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study protocol.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow of participants through study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean (95% CI) incremental blood glucose response after consuming almonds and biscuits. iAUC was compared using a linear mixed model with random effects included for participants to accommodate the crossover design. iAUC (calculated using the trapezoidal rule [43], where negative values were treated as zero) for the almonds was statistically and practically significantly lower compared to the biscuits (p < 0.001). Solid line with ■, almonds; dashed line with ●, biscuits.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean (95% CI) satiety quotient (using Atwater factor energy) immediately after consuming the snack to 120 min for: (a) Hunger; (b) fullness; (c) desire to consume; (d) prospective food consumption; (e) preoccupation with food. Solid line with ■, almonds; dashed line with ●, biscuits.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mean energy intakes consumed during the standard breakfast (light grey bars), the standardised morning study snack (black bars), the ad libitum lunch (dotted bars) and subsequent intake for the remainder of the day (free living) (dark grey bars).

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