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Research Nut: Pistachios

Consuming tree nuts daily as between-meal snacks reduces food cravings and improves diet quality in American young adults at high metabolic syndrome risk.

Lillegard, K., A. Widmer, J.R. Koethe, H.J. Silver, 2025. Consuming tree nuts daily as between-meal snacks reduces food cravings and improves diet quality in American young adults at high metabolic syndrome risk. Nutrients. 17, 3778. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233778.

Background: Daily energy intake from snacking behaviors has increased over the past few decades, during which the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome has risen to epidemic proportions. There remains considerable room for improvement in the overall quality of dietary intakes of the U.S. population when compared to national recommendations. Food cravings may contribute to the types of snacks chosen for consumption, and thus, the frequency of foods and food groups consumed, and the overall nutritional quality of the diet. Methods: Eighty-four young (28.5 ± 4.3 years) adults with at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor participated in a parallel-arm single-blind randomized trial designed to compare effects of consuming a mix of tree nuts versus typical high-carbohydrate food items as between-meal snacks for 16 weeks. Cravings for 28 common foods via the Food Craving Inventory, short-term dietary intakes via 24 h multi-pass methodology, food group frequency via the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants, usual hunger and fullness via visual analog scales, appetite-regulating hormones, and diet quality via the Healthy Eating Index-2015 were measured at baseline and end of study. Results: Participants in the TNsnack group had significant decreases in cravings for high sweet items and fast-food items, which were associated with decreased frequency of desserts and salty foods along with increased intake of higher protein items. In contrast, no significant reductions in food cravings or preference for sweets were observed in the CHOsnack group. Decreased cravings for sweets by TNsnack participants were associated with increased total GLP-1 levels: cake (r = −0.35, p = 0.03), brownies (r = −0.44, p = 0.02), candy (r = −0.36, p = 0.03) and ice cream (r = −0.33, p = 0.04). Overall, the total diet quality score improved by 19% among TNsnack participants. Conclusions: Replacing more typical between-meal snacks with tree nuts may reduce food cravings, particularly for sweeter food items that are likely to be nutrient poor and energy dense. By reducing cravings and frequency of intake, consuming tree nuts as snacks could facilitate having a higher quality, more nutrient-dense diet and mitigate potential negative effects of snacking on metabolic health in young adults.

Upcycling commercial nut byproducts for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications: A comprehensive review.

Alasalvar, C., G. Huang, B.W. Bolling, P.A. Jantip, R.B. Pegg, X.K. Wong, S.K. Chang, E. Pelvan, A.C. de Camargo, G. Mandalari, A. Hossain, F. Shahidi, 2025. Upcycling commercial nut byproducts for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications: A comprehensive review. Food Chem. 467:142222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142222

This article presents a comprehensive overview of upcycling commercial nut byproducts (such as almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut (also known as a legume), pecan, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut) for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications. Upcycling nut byproducts, namely husk/hull, hard shell, brown skin, defatted flour/meal/cake, pine cone, cashew nut shell liquid, cashew apple, walnut septum, and dreg/okara, has great potential, not only to reduce/minimise waste, but also to fit within the circular economy concept. Each byproduct has its own unique functional properties, which can bring significant value. These byproducts can be used as value-added ingredients to promote better health and well-being, due to their rich sources of diverse bioactive components/phytochemicals, polysaccharides, fibre, lignin, prebiotics, oils, proteins, bioactive peptides, minerals, and vitamins, among other components. This comprehensive review provides a basis for future research and development of product applications for nut byproducts. More studies are needed on novel product development to valorise nut byproducts.

Effect of premeal pistachio supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors among Asian Indian adults with prediabetes: A randomized controlled trial.

Ashwini, K., K. Abirami, R. Gayathri, S. Sasikala, V. Sudha, S. Shobana, R.G. Jeevan, K. Krishnaswamy, V. Deepika, M. Rajalakshmi, R.M.R. Bai, K. Parkavi, S. Padmavathi, R.M. Anjana, R. Unnikrishnan, F.B. Hu, W.C. Willett, J. Salas-Salvadó, S.N. Bhupathiraju, V. Mohan, 2025. Effect of premeal pistachio supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors among Asian Indian adults with prediabetes: A randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 155(3):899-909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.12.005

Background: Asian Indians are susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes at a lower age and often consume diets that are high in glycemic load and low in healthy fats. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 30g prebreakfast and 30g predinner supplementation of pistachios for 12 wk on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), other glycemic markers, anthropometry, and lipid profile of Asian Indians with prediabetes. Methods: In a 12-wk parallel arm, randomized controlled trial, we recruited 120 participants with prediabetes based on American Diabetes Association criteria. The intervention group (n = 60) consumed 60g pistachios (30g prebreakfast and predinner) whereas the control group (n = 60) followed a routine diet that excluded nuts. At baseline and 12 wk, we collected blood samples for biochemical analysis, anthropometrics, and 24-h recalls. Participants wore a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor during the trial’s first and last 2 wk. Urinary N-methyl-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline (MHP) was measured as a marker of pistachio consumption. Results: A total of 109 participants completed the study (follow-up rate = 90.8%). Compared with participants in the control group, those in the intervention group had significant reductions in HbA1c (mean between-group difference: −0.2; 95% confidence interval: −0.3, −0.1; P < 0.001] with no significant changes in fasting or 2-h post glucose load plasma glucose. Compared with the control group, the intervention group had significant reductions in serum triglyceride, waist circumference, lipid accumulation product, visceral adiposity index, and atherogenic index. Urinary MHP (mg/g creatinine) showed a 62% increase in the intervention compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CGM data revealed significant decreases in the incremental area under the curve, 2-h after breakfast (28%, p=0.01) and after dinner (17%, P = 0.002) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusions: A 12-wk, premeal load of 60g pistachios lowers HbA1c and improves cardiometabolic profile among Asian Indians with prediabetes. This is among the first studies to investigate these effects in this ethnic group.

Consumption of tree nuts as snacks stimulates changes in plasma fatty acid profiles and adipose tissue gene expression in young adults at risk for metabolic syndrome

Widmer, A., K. Lillegard, K. Wood, M. Robles, R. Fan, F. Ye, J.R. Koethe, H.J. Silver, 2025. Consumption of tree nuts as snacks stimulates changes in plasma fatty acid profiles and adipose tissue gene expression in young adults at risk for metabolic syndrome. Clinical Nutrition. (48)25 – 34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2025.03.002.

Background and aims: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has been increasing in young adults, concomitant with the occurrence of increased abdominal adiposity. We previously reported that consuming tree nuts, as replacement for typical high-carbohydrate snacks, reduces visceral fat and waist circumference in young adults who have one or more metabolic syndrome risk factors. We aimed to investigate the effects of tree nuts snack consumption on plasma and adipose tissue fatty acid profiles along with changes in the expression of adipose tissue genes involved in thermogenesis, glycemia, adipocyte signaling, lipolysis, and immunity. Methods: A randomized parallel-arm 16-week intervention trial was conducted in 84 adults aged 22-36 years. Participants in both groups were provided with caloric goals for weight maintenance, daily menus, and pre-portioned snacks at every other week visits with study registered dietitians. Changes in dietary fatty acid intakes, plasma and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) triglycerides fatty acid profiles using gas-liquid chromatography, and the expression of 241 genes in abdominal SAT were evaluated. Results: Consuming tree nuts snacks increased mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes yielding a 9-fold greater dietary unsaturated to saturated fat ratio. The tree nuts snack group also had significantly greater improvements in plasma 16:1/16:0 ratio; plasma phospholipids oleic and gamma linolenic acid content; plasma diglycerides, triglycerides, and cholesterol esters oleic acid content; and total plasma monounsaturated fatty acids. While abdominal SAT only showed trends for increased oleic acid content and unsaturated to saturated fat ratio, the tree nuts snacks participants had altered expression of 13 genes in abdominal SAT that have roles in nutrient sensing, energy homeostasis, and vulnerability to obesity. Conclusions: Replacing typical high-carbohydrate snacks with tree nuts results in more favorable dietary, plasma, and adipose tissue fatty acid profiles that could aid in preventing the development of excess adiposity and cardiometabolic disease states including metabolic syndrome.