Support weight control

Despite the fact that walnuts are high in calories, studies show that the amount of energy that is really absorbed from them is 21 percent lower than would be predicted given their nutritional makeup. Additionally, eating walnuts may even aid with appetite management. In a rigorously controlled experiment involving 10 obese participants, consuming a smoothie containing around 1.75 ounces (48 grams) of walnuts once a day for five days reduced appetite and hunger compared to drinking a placebo beverage with the same calories and nutrients.

Brain scans also revealed that after five days of ingesting the walnut smoothies, the individuals' activity in a section of the brain that aids in resisting extremely alluring food signals, such as cake and French fries, had risen. Despite the need for bigger and longer-term research, this offers some preliminary understanding of how walnuts could aid in hunger and weight control.