A mid-morning snack of almonds generates satiety and appropriate adjustment of subsequent food intake in healthy women
Sarah Hull
0
1
Roberta Re
0
1
Lucy Chambers
0
1
Ana Echaniz
0
1
Martin S. J. Wickham
0
1
0
L. Chambers School of Psychology
, Pevensey Building,
University of Sussex
, Brighton BN1 9QH,
UK
1
S. Hull (&) R. Re A. Echaniz M. S. J. Wickham Nutrition Research, Leatherhead Food Research
, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7RY,
UK
Purpose To assess the effect of consuming a mid-morning almond snack (28 and 42 g) tested against a negative control of no almonds on acute satiety responses. Method On three test days, 32 healthy females consumed a standard breakfast followed by 0, 28 or 42 g of almonds as a mid-morning snack and then ad libitum meals at lunch and dinner. The effect of the almond snacks on satiety was assessed by measuring energy intake (kcal) at the two ad libitum meals and subjective appetite ratings (visual analogue scales) throughout the test days. Results Intake at lunch and dinner significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in response to the almond snacks. Overall, a similar amount of energy was consumed on all three test days indicating that participants compensated for the 173 and 259 kcals consumed as almonds on the 28 and 42 g test days, respectively. Subjective appetite ratings in the interval between the mid-morning snack and lunch were consistent with dose-dependent enhanced satiety following the almond snacks. However, in the interval between lunch and dinner, appetite ratings were not dependent on the mid-morning snack. Conclusion Almonds might be a healthy snack option since their acute satiating effects are likely to result in no net increase in energy consumed over a day.
-
Satietythe inter-meal inhibition of hunger and eating that
arises as a result of consuming food [1]is influenced by a
wide variety of interacting factors, involving physiological
processes in the brain and body, and the social and physical
environments [2]. Foods that generate strong sensations of
satiety can help consumers control their appetite, eat
healthily and manage their weight [3]. A problem for
weight management is thought to be snacking [4]. This
eating habit is commonplace [5] and likely to add calories
to a persons total daily energy intake if the consumed
snack food has little impact on satiety, resulting in poor
adjusted intake at their next meal(s). Therefore, it is
important to identify healthy satiating snack foods that
support appropriate calorie-dependent adjustment of
subsequent intake, so that snacking is less likely to result in a
net increase in energy consumed.
It is well established that calorie-for-calorie not all foods
deliver the same level of satiety [6]. For example, in satiety
studies where comparison foods were matched for energy
content, there is considerable evidence that high-protein
foods are more satiating than those that are high in
carbohydrate and/or fat [7]; that fibre-rich foods are more
satiating than low-fibre foods [8]; and that energy-dense
foods are less satiating than those with lower energy
density [9].
Whole almonds have a nutritional profile consistent with
satiety, being the tree nut highest in protein and fibre.
Additionally, they have other health benefits because they
are a good source of vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, calcium,
magnesium and potassium [10]. However, almonds are also
a high-fat energy-dense food; these types of foods might be
an inappropriate snack choice since when eaten in the same
volume as low-energy-dense foods they are equally as
satiating but higher in energy [9].
There is some evidence that consuming almonds can
have positive effects on appetite control. Long-term studies
indicate that almonds do not lead to significant changes in
body weight [1114]; this might be because habitual
consumption of almonds increases resting energy expenditure
and/or because almonds have a high satiety value and
people are able to appropriately compensate for their
consumption [12]. In the short term, adding almonds to a
meal has been reported to decrease blood glucose
concentrations and increase satiety in adults with impaired
glucose tolerance [15], with similar glycaemic results
reported for healthy individuals [16, 17]. In a recent study,
250 kcal of almonds as a snack reduced hunger and desire
to eat at a subsequent meal in people with increased risk of
type 2 diabetes, though intake at this meal was fixed and so
compensation effects cannot be assessed [13]. One
shortterm study has examined the acute effects of almond intake
on satiety in healthy people [18]; however, an unusually
large portion of almonds was consumed (80 g: 500 kcals)
and only self-reported measures were used to assess effects
on satiety.
No acute studies have objectively assessed whether
snacking on almonds leads to portion-size-dependent
changes in subsequent food intake, and this is the aim of
the present study. This information will shed light on
whether the high satiety value of almonds is the reason why
habitual snacking on this food results in insignificant (...truncated)