Brown, R.C., A.R. Gray, S.L. Tey, A. Chisholm, V. Burley, D.C. Greenwood, J. Cade, 2017. Associations between nut consumption and health vary between omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Nutrients. 7, 9, 1219; doi:10.3390/nu9111219.
Regular nut consumption is associated with reduced risk factors for chronic disease; however, most population-based studies lack consideration of effect modification by dietary pattern. The UK Women’s Cohort Study (UKWCS) provides an ideal opportunity to examine relationships between nut consumption and chronic disease risk factors in a large sample with diverse dietary patterns. Nut and nutrient intake from 34,831 women was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire among self-identified omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. In this cross-sectional analysis, higher nut consumption was associated with lower body weight (difference between highest and lowest consumption categories from adjusted model: 6.1kg; 95% CI: 4.7,7.6) body mass index (BMI, 2.4 units difference; 95% CI:1.9,2.9), and waist circumference (2.6cm difference; 95% CI:1.4,3.8) (all ρ for linear trend<0.001). Higher nut consumption was also associated with reduced prevalence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure; having a history of heart attack, diabetes and gallstones; and markers of diet quality (all adjusted ρ for linear trend ≤ 0.011). Higher nut consumption appeared over all to be associated with greater benefits amongst omnivores compared to vegetarians and vegans. Findings support existing literature around beneficial effects of nut consumption and suggest that benefits may be larger among omnivores. Nut promotion strategies may have the highest population impact by specifically targeting this group.
Sterling, S.R., B. Bertrand, S. Judd, T.L. Carson, P. Chandler-Laney, M.L. Baskin, 2017. Longitudinal analysis of nut-inclusive diets and body mass index among overweight and obese African American women living in rural Alabama and Mississippi, 2011–2013. Prev Chronic Dis 2017;14:160595. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd14.160595.
Introduction: Nuts, when eaten alongside other nutritionally rich foods, may decrease obesity and related chronic disease risks, which are high among African American women in the rural South. We monitored changes in nut intake, other obesity-related foods (fruits, vegetables, red or processed meats, added sugars), and body mass index (BMI) over a 2-year weight loss intervention among 383 overweight and obese African American women in rural Alabama and Mississippi. Methods: Two dietary recalls were administered at 4 points over 24 months. Mann–Whitney tests compared differences in median food group intake between nut consumers and non-nut consumers, and t tests identified BMI differences between groups. Mixed linear models tested the relationship between nut intake and intake of the select food groups, and between nut intake and BMI over time. Results: Overall nut consumers ate more fruits and vegetables and less red meat than non-nut consumers. Nut consumers had lower BMI values than non-nut consumers. Weight loss by the end of the intervention was significant for nut consumers but not for non-nut consumers, even after accounting for kilocalorie consumption and physical activity engagement. Conclusion: Nut consumption is associated with consumption of other nutritionally rich foods and lower BMI among African American women in rural Alabama and Mississippi. Future interventions should target increasing daily nut intake, decreasing added sugar intake, and identifying strategies to encourage positive dietary changes to continue after an intervention.
Yu, Z., V.S. Malik, N. Keum, F.B. Hu, E.L. Giovannucci, M.J. Stampfer, W.C. Willett, C.S. Fuchs, Y. Bao, 2016. Associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers. AJCN. First published ahead of print July 27, 2016 as doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.134205.
Background: Increased nut consumption has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as a healthy lipid profile. However, the associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers are unclear. Objective: We investigated habitual nut consumption in relation to inflammatory biomarkers in 2 large cohorts of US men and women. Design: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 5013 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) who were free of diabetes. Nut intake, defined as intake of peanuts and other nuts, was estimated from food frequency questionnaires, and cumulative averages from 1986 and 1990 in the NHS and from 1990 and 1994 in the HPFS were used. Plasma biomarkers were collected in 1989–1990 in the NHS and 1993–1995 in the HPFS. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the associations of nut consumption with fasting plasma C-reactive protein (CRP, n = 4941), interleukin 6 (IL-6, n = 2859), and tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2, n = 2905). Results: A greater intake of nuts was associated with lower amounts of a subset of inflammatory biomarkers, after adjusting for demographic, medical, dietary, and lifestyle variables. The relative concentrations (ratios) and 95% CIs comparing subjects with nut intake of $5 times/wk and those in the categories of never or almost never were as follows: CRP: 0.80 (0.69, 0.90), P-trend = 0.0003; and IL-6: 0.86 (0.77, 0.97), P-trend = 0.006. These associations remained significant after further adjustment for body mass index. No significant association was observed with TNFR2. Substituting 3 servings of nuts/wk for 3 servings of red meat, processed meat, eggs, or refined grains/wk was associated with significantly lower CRP (all P , 0.0001) and IL-6 (P ranges from 0.001 to 0.017). Conclusion: Frequent nut consumption was associated with a healthy profile of inflammatory biomarkers.
Wand, W., M. Yang, S.A. Kenfield, F.B. Hu, M.J. Stampfer, W.C. Willett, C.S. Fuchs, E.L. Giovannucci, Y. Bao, 2016. Nut consumption and prostate cancer risk and mortality. British Journal of Cancer.doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.181
Background: Little is known of the association between nut consumption, and prostate cancer (PCa) incidence and survivorship. Methods: We conducted an incidence analysis and a case-only survival analysis in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study on the associations of nut consumption (updated every 4 years) with PCa diagnosis, and PCa-specific and overall mortality. Results: In 26 years, 6810 incident PCa cases were identified from 47 299 men. There was no association between nut consumption and being diagnosed with PCa or PCa-specific mortality. However, patients who consumed nuts five or more times per week after diagnosis had a significant 34% lower rate of overall mortality than those who consumed nuts less than once per month (HR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.52–0.83, P-trend=0.0005). Conclusions: There were no statistically significant associations between nut consumption, and PCa incidence or PCa-specific mortality. Frequent nut consumption after diagnosis was associated with significantly reduced overall mortality.
