Research from Harvard University says nuts could be a useful slimming aid. It recommended people replace unhealthy snacks with nuts to slow down weight gain, especially for older people. People who ate 14g of nuts every day gained less weight and were less likely to be obese than those who ate other snacks. The benefits could be small. Eating nuts instead of unhealthy snacks could reduce weight gain by just 0.4 to 0.7kg over four years.

The researchers' looked at the lifestyles of 190,000 people over twenty years. There were three groups of people. One had 51,000 male health workers aged 40 to 75, and others had nurses aged 24 to 55. Researchers asked them questions every four years about their weight, their exercise, and how often they ate nuts. Replacing less healthy foods with nuts might help reduce weight gain as we age. It might also lower the chances of becoming obese.