Key Points
- A new study suggests swapping high-carb snacks with tree nuts for health benefits.
- Those who snacked on nuts experienced changes that suggest a reduction in abdominal fat over time.
- To keep the sodium levels in check, opt for unsalted raw or roasted nuts when you snack.
Visceral fat—also called abdominal or belly fat—is necessary to help cushion your organs. But when there’s too much of it, it can increase your risk for metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of other conditions, including larger waist circumference, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugars and low HDL (beneficial) cholesterol. Metabolic syndrome is defined as having three or more of these conditions.
While metabolic…