Tree nut consumption associated with lower body weight and lower risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease

In a study published this week in Nutrition Journal*, researchers compared risk factors for heart disease and metabolic syndrome of tree nut consumers versus those who did not consume tree nuts. Tree nut (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) consumption was associated with lower body mass index (p=0.004), systolic blood pressure (p=0.001), insulin resistance (p=0.043) and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (good cholesterol) (p=0.022). In addition, tree nut consumers were 25% less likely to be obese and 21% less likely to have an elevated waist circumference than those who did not consume tree nuts.

The study looked at 14,386 men and women (19+ years) participating in the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Intake was from 24-hour recall data and tree nut consumers were defined as those who consumed ¼ ounce or more per day. "Approximately 6.8% of the study population consumed tree nuts," stated Carol O'Neil, PhD, MPH, RD, lead author on the paper and Professor at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. "While that may sound small, it actually represents over 12 million individuals--a significant number." She added, "Those who consumed nuts ate about 1.5 ounces (44.3 grams) of tree nuts per day--similar to the amount recommended in the FDA qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease."

Research has shown that nuts can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The latter is a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and includes elevated blood lipids, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Obesity is also a risk factor for these two diseases and although tree nuts contain fat and calories, numerous studies have shown that diets "enriched with nuts" do not increase weight