Comparison of the effect of milk and pistachio snacks on anthropometric indices in overweight or obese women: A randomized crossover trial

Background: Weight management is the key to prevent and treat the adverse consequences of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of consuming milk and pistachio snacks on anthropometric indices in overweight or obese women. Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 60 overweight or obese women with a mean age of 24 ± 4.2 years were randomly divided into two groups. Women in the milk group received 200 mL/day low-fat milk while women in the other group received 30 g/day pistachio for 4 weeks. After a 6-day washout period, the participants received a similar intervention in a crossover manner. Results: Out of the total 60 participants, 52 completed the study. At the end of the study, the weight of women in the milk group significantly decreased (70.8 ± 8.4 vs. 69.9 ± 8.3, P value = 0.001). No statistically significant changes were observed in the weight of participants in the pistachio group (70.3 ± 8.4 vs. 70.6 ± 8.3, P value = 0.06). Further analyses showed a slightly significant beneficial effect on waist circumference (WC) (P-value =0.068) and body mass index (BMI) in the milk group P value = 0.01). Conclusions: Based on the observed positive effects of milk intake on weight loss in this crossover study, milk consumption may be considered an appropriate snack in weight loss programs in overweight or obese women.