Arslan, J., Z. Najam, H. Abdullah, H.S. Siddiqi, R. Bano, A. Gilani, H. Jamshed, 2026. Daily almond supplementation improves blood pressure and lipid profile in pregnant women with hypertension and dyslipidemia: a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Nutrition. 156(2),101270 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.101270
Background: Hypertension and dyslipidemia during pregnancy increase risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Although almond supplementation is recognized for its cardioprotective effects in nonpregnant populations, its role during pregnancy remains underexplored despite its potential as a safe and accessible dietary intervention. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of almond supplementation at 2 doses (10 g/d and 25 g/d) on blood pressure, lipid profile, and heart rate in pregnant women with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Methods: This single-center, 12-wk randomized controlled trial enrolled 103 pregnant women (≥20 wk of gestation) with confirmed hypertension and/or dyslipidemia from Aga Khan Maternity Hospital, Karachi, with 46 participants meeting criteria for both conditions included in the primary analysis. Participants were randomly assigned into 3 groups: no-intervention (NI, control), 10 g/d almonds (A10), or 25 g/d almonds (A25). Primary outcomes were changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, measured every 4 wk. Secondary outcomes included serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL, HDL, and heart rate, assessed at baseline and week 12. Data were analyzed using 1-way and 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance with post hoc testing (P ≤ 0.05 considered significant). Results: At week 12, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in both A10 (−13.7% and −5.8%) and A25 (−18.3% and −7.9%) compared with NI (−7.4% and −1.6%; P < 0.001). TC, TG, and LDL levels improved dose-dependently, with the A25 group showing the greatest reductions in TC (−22.5%), TG (−33.8%), and LDL (−27.3%) (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in HDL levels or heart rate across groups. Conclusions: Almond supplementation for 12 wk significantly improved blood pressure and lipid profile in pregnant women with hypertension and dyslipidemia, especially at the 25 g/d dose. These findings suggest that almonds may serve as an adjunct dietary strategy to manage cardiometabolic risk in pregnancy. Future trials with larger samples and longer durations are warranted to evaluate sustained benefits and long-term outcomes.
Adepoju, A., E. Rabbani, P. Brickey, V. Vieira-Potter, J. Dhillon, 2026. Almond consumption improves inflammatory profiles independent of weight change: a 6-week randomized controlled trial in adults with obesity. Nutrients. 18(5):875. doi: 10.3390/nu18050875.
Background: Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that contributes to metabolic dysfunction. Diet is a modifiable factor that can help reduce this inflammation. Nuts such as almonds are rich in unsaturated fats, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory micronutrients, which may work synergistically to attenuate obesity-related inflammation. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate whether daily almond consumption improves systemic inflammatory and immune markers in adults with obesity. Methods: In this randomized controlled parallel-arm trial, 69 adults (age 30-45 years) with obesity (BMI 30-45 kg/m2) were assigned to consume either 57 g/day of almonds (n = 38) or an isocaloric snack (cookie; n = 31) for six weeks. Fasting serum inflammatory cytokines, innate immune cell counts, body weight, serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, and alpha-tocopherol were measured at baseline and week six. Dietary intake, compliance, palatability, acceptance, and appetite ratings were also assessed. Primary outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models and baseline-adjusted linear models. Results: Subjective compliance was high in both groups, with greater acceptance of almonds (p < 0.05); however, serum alpha-tocopherol did not change. Almond consumption significantly decreased serum IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ over 6 weeks compared with the cookie group (p < 0.05). No significant group differences were observed for innate immune cell counts, body weight, appetite ratings, blood pressure, or serum fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (C), LDL-C, and triglycerides over six weeks. The almond group also increased intakes of monounsaturated fat, fiber, alpha-tocopherol, magnesium, zinc, and manganese, and improved diet quality indices relative to the cookie group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Daily almond consumption for six weeks improved inflammatory cytokine profiles in adults with obesity, without changes in body weight under free-living conditions. These findings support recommending almonds as part of healthy dietary patterns to help attenuate obesity-related inflammation.
Suprono, M.S., D.J. Shavlik, F.M. Butler, J. Sabaté, G.E. Fraser, M.J. Orlich, 2025. Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease mortality: The Adventist Health Study 2. J Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.10.022
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are leading causes of mortality worldwide. Nut consumption has been associated with reduced risk. Objectives: To examine the associations between total nut and tree nut intake with CVD and IHD mortality, and to explore the potential benefits of substituting nuts for less heart-healthy foods. Methods: This prospective cohort study followed 80,529 Adventist participants for an average of 11.1 y. During this period, 4258 CVD deaths, including 1529 IHD deaths, were recorded. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. We examined total nut intake (combining tree nuts, peanuts, and peanut butter) as well as tree nut intake specifically (including almonds, cashews, walnuts, and mixed nuts). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors. Results: Participants with higher nut intake tended to be older, more educated, and reported healthier lifestyle behaviors. After multivariable adjustment, higher total nut intake was significantly associated with lower CVD (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.94) and IHD mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.94) when comparing the 90th with the 10th percentile of intake. Stronger inverse associations were observed with tree nut intake and CVD (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.92) and IHD mortality (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.87). Substitution analysis revealed that replacing unprocessed red meats and processed meats with total nuts and tree nuts was associated with lower risk of CVD and IHD mortality. Conclusions: Higher intakes of total nuts and tree nuts are associated with significantly lower risk of CVD and IHD mortality. These findings support dietary recommendations to increase nut consumption as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Pourrajab, B., A.M. Harijani, P. Asghari, F. Shidfar, 2025. Effect of the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil versus the Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts on blood pressure and serum lipid indexes among adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. 35(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104166
Background and aim: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effects of two Mediterranean (MED) dietary patterns—one supplemented with olive oil and the other with mixed nuts—on blood pressure and lipid profile. Methods and results: Relevant studies published until April 24, 2024, were thoroughly searched in online databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. The analysis included 21 trials with 25 effect sizes, calculated as standardized mean differences with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The findings indicated that the MED diet supplemented with olive oil has no significant effect on lipid indices and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) when contrasted with the MED diet supplemented with mixed nuts. However, the olive oil group had slightly higher systolic blood pressure levels than the mixed nuts group, with a significant p-value of <0.001. Conclusions: Evidence indicates no significant difference in serum lipid profile and DBP between the MED diet supplemented with olive oil and that with mixed nuts in participants at risk of CVD. However, mixed nuts significantly reduce SBP compared to olive oil. More studies on diverse populations are needed.
