A randomised parallel dietary intervention to compare the effects of daily consumption of nuts, potato crisps and chocolate for 12 weeks on body weight in healthy adults.

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Public health recommendations include regular consumption of nuts. It is important to determine whether nut consumption on a daily basis results in weight gain which may negate the positive health benefits of regular nut consumption. Some previous research suggests that nuts may possess unique characteristics that prevent weight gain, even though they are high in fat and calories. No studies to date have compared regular nut consumption with regular consumption of other energy dense foods. If there is something unique about nuts, which prevents weight gain, then there is the potential to include nuts in the diets of those who in particular struggle to maintain a healthy body weight, e.g. ex-smokers, yo-yo dieters, individuals with the metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess energy balance, body weight, cardiovascular risk factors and sensory response to the daily consumption of nuts for twelve weeks compared with the consumption of other energy-dense foods.