American Institute for Cancer Research, 1997. World Cancer Research Fund. Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Nuts and Seeds. 450-1.
Since the early ‘80s, a number of expert reports have reviewed the literature on diet and cancer and made recommendations designed to reduce the risk of cancer. The report, of which this is a summary, builds on that earlier work. The experts recommend that populations consume nutritionally adequate and varied diets, based primarily on foods of plant origin. They specifically recommend that the public choose predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods. The report notes, “While there are as yet no useful epidemiological data on nuts and seeds, it is biologically plausible that diets high in specific nuts and seeds or these foods as a whole, protect against cancers.”
Altman, D.R., L.T. Chiaramonte, 1996. Public perception of food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 97(6):1247-1251.
BACKGROUND: Although studies that use the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge suggest that the prevalence of food allergy is about 2%, public belief in food allergy appears to be considerably higher. OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to determine the magnitude and features of the American public’s belief in food allergy by surveying a large, demographically balanced population. METHODS: A simple question about food allergy was incorporated into a broad, self-reported, mailed consumer questionnaire. Five thousand demographically representative American households were surveyed by means of quota sample in 1989, 1992, and 1993. RESULTS: The response rates were 79%, 75%, and 74%, respectively. Of responding households, 16.2%, 16.6%, and 13.9%, respectively, reported an average of 1.17 household members with food allergy. Individuals reported to be allergic to foods were more likely to be female, particularly adult women. Male individuals with reported food allergy tended to be young, whereas no such skew was noted among female subjects. Geographic differences were observed in reported food allergy, with the highest rate in the Pacific region. Milk and chocolate were the individual foods most frequently implicated in food allergy. Trends were consistent over the period studied. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived food allergy is widespread and persistent. The characteristics and demographic patterns of this belief are not reflective of known food allergy epidemiology derived from studies in which the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge is used.
Sabaté J., D.G. Hook. Almonds, walnuts, and serum lipids. In: Spiller, G.A. Handbook of Lipids in Human Nutrition. New York, NY: CRC Press, Inc.; 1996.
This chapter reviews human studies that look at the effects of whole almonds and walnuts on blood lipid levels. Although each of the studies differ in methodology, the overriding consensus is that almonds, walnuts, and possibly other nuts with a similar nutrient composition, have a cholesterol lowering effect. The protective effect of nuts on coronary heart disease may be due to their fatty acid composition (mostly unsaturated fats) and other components in nuts.
Dreher, M. L., Maher, C. V., Kearney, P. 1996. The traditional and emerging role of nuts in healthful diets. Nutrition Reviews 54:241.
Throughout history, nuts have been a staple food providing energy, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Today, nuts are classified as part of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid’s Meat/ Meat Alternate Group. Foods in this group contribute protein as well as important vitamins and minerals to the diet. Nuts are also being studied for their potential health benefits. Research suggests that there may be a connection between frequent nut consumption and a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease. Thus, tradition and promising scientific evidence combine to support the role of nuts in healthful eating.
Hopper, K., B. Lampi, E. O’Grady, 1994. Biotin content in vegetables and nuts available on the Canadian market. Food Research International. 27:495-7.
Biotin levels were determined in four different samples of vegetables and nuts available on the Canadian market by microbiological assay with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014. The mean total biotin levels for the different vegetables ranged from 0·2 to 8·4 μg/100 g and for the different nuts from 0·7 to 91·1 μg/100 g. The data for biotin levels in the different vegetables and nuts provide additional information for improving the data base for biotin in the Canadian Nutrient File.
Sabaté J., G.E. Fraser, 1994. Nuts: a new protective food against coronary heart disease. Current Opinion in Lipidology. 5:11-16.
Recent epidemiological findings indicate that frequent nut consumption offers protection from fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease events. Although human nutrition studies seem to indicate that nut consumption lowers total and LDL cholesterol, the unique nutrient composition of nuts invites speculation on other mechanisms of protection.
Fraser, G.E., 1994. Diet and coronary heart disease: beyond dietary fats and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr. 59(suppl):1117S-23S.
Traditionally, the effects of diet on coronary heart disease have been attributed to the effects of medium-chain fatty acids, soluble fiber, and dietary cholesterol on serum low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. We review evidence here that many other dietary substances may affect risk, often via mechanisms not involving LDL-cholesterol concentrations directly. Such substances include phytosterols, tocotrienols, arginine, and antioxidant vitamins. The effects of diet on high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, triglycerides (fasting and postprandial), oxidized LDL particles, prostaglandins, and endothelium-derived relaxing factor are described. Finally, an illustration of some epidemiologic associations between diet and coronary disease events is made from the Adventist Health Study data.
Abbey, M., M. Noakes, G.B. Belling, P.J. Nestel, 1994. Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids with almonds or walnuts lowers total plasma cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr. 59:995-9.
Sixteen normolipidemic male volunteers aged 41 +/- 9 y (mean +/- SD) consumed a diet providing 36% of energy as fat (92 g fat/d) for 9 wk. A daily supplement of nuts (providing half of the total fat intake) was provided against a common background diet. In the first 3-wk period the background diet was supplemented with raw peanuts (50 g/d), coconut cubes (40 g/d), and a coconut confectionary bar (50 g/d), designed to provide 47 g fat with a ratio of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids (P:M:S) to match the Australian diet (reference diet). During the following 3 wk the background diet was supplemented with monounsaturated fatty acid-rich raw almonds (84 g/d), equivalent to 46 g fat, and during the final 3-wk period the background diet was supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich walnuts (68 g/d), equivalent to 46 g fat. Compared with the reference diet there were significant reductions in total and LDL cholesterol, 7% and 10%, respectively, after supplementation with almonds, and 5% and 9%, respectively, after supplementation with walnuts.
Sabaté, J., 1993. Does nut consumption protect against ischaemic heart disease? Eur J of Clin Nutr. 47(suppl.1):S71-5.
Results of an epidemiological study conducted among California Adventists provides strong evidence that frequent nut consumption has a protective effect on both fatal and non-fatal ischaemic heart disease. It’s plausible, due to the unique composition of nuts, that nuts favorably affect heart disease risk factors and interfere with the process of atherogenesis. Results of human nutritional studies, with varying degrees of methodological rigor all seem to indicate that eating nuts lowers serum cholesterol and favorably modifies the lipoprotein profile.
Klevay, L.M., 1993. Copper in nuts may lower heart disease risk. Arch Intern Med. 153: 401-2.
In this commentary on the Seventh-Day Adventist study, the author discuses the fact that nuts are relatively high in copper and that this may provide protection against a variety of disorders related to atherosclerosis. Copper deficiency is the only nutritional insult that has been shown to produce abnormal electrocardiograms, glucose intolerance, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, hyperuricemia, injury by free radicals and thrombosis in animals. More than 31 men and women have responded to diets low in copper with potentially harmful changes in glucose tolerance, blood pressure, blood lipids and electrocardiograms. Copper in these daily diets ranged from 0.65 to 1.02 mg amounts. Eating an ounce of nuts can add approximately 0.37 mg of copper to daily intakes.
