Eating Nuts a Marker of Better Diet Quality in Those at Higher Cardiovascular Disease Risk

by | Feb 17, 2020 | 2019, Cardiovascular Health, Mediterranean Diet, Nuts and Seeds

Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Nut consumption was associated with nutrient adequacy, better diet quality, and higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a population at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

nuts and seedsThe Mediterranean Diet is one of the most highly studied diets, especially in relation to cardiovascular disease.  It has also been researched that consuming nuts, a key part of the Mediterranean Diet, is associated with improved nutrient intakes 1,2.  Yet none of the research has examined the association between nut consumption in a Mediterranean population at high risk for cardiovascular disease, until now 1.  The recent research found consuming nuts resulted in improved nutrient consumption, diet quality and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in those at high risk for cardiovascular disease, compared to non-nut consumers 1.

Nuts contain high levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, soluble fiber and vitamins 1,3.  These nutrients are often credited for the health improvements observed in those that consume nuts, resulting in lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular mortality 1,3.  However, research up to this point was limited in studying those at high risk for cardiovascular disease 1.

The recent research included overweight or obese adults (n=3118 men, n=2942 women) that met at least 3 criteria for Metabolic Syndrome, which include: abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL or “good” cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose levels 4.  The participants were all part of a six-year, multicenter, randomized trial conducted in Spain (PREDIMED-PLUS) 1.

The participants completed a 137-item food frequency questionnaire with a registered dietitian, to estimate nutrient intake 1.  Total nut consumption was calculated in four categories: almonds, pistachios, walnuts and other nuts.  Participants were then classified as “non-nut consumers” if they didn’t consume any nuts (n=1091) or “nut consumers” (n=4969) 1.

Overall, 82% of participants were nut consumers (p=0.001) and the average nut consumption was 12.6g/day (about 0.44 ounces).  The following differences were observed between nut consumers and non-nut consumers:

  • Nut consumers had higher intakes of calories, solid carbohydrates, total fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and fiber
  • Nut consumers had higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, total fish and total meat
  • Nut consumers had lower intakes of dairy products
  • Nut consumers had lower BMIs and greater reported physical activity.
  • Nut consumers had higher intakes of all vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, E and folic acid) and minerals (zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, chromium) except for iodine.

In conclusion, consumption of nuts was associated with better diet quality, nutrient adequacy and greater adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a population at higher risk for cardiovascular disease 1.  The limitation of the study is that it is correlational in nature, but it was a larger population based study and researchers stated that nut consumption should be encouraged based off the results 1.

Source: Bibiloni, Maria del Mar, Alicia Julibert, Cristina Bouzas, Miguel A. Martínez-González, Dolores Corella, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, M. Dolors Zomeño et al. “Nut Consumptions as a Marker of Higher Diet Quality in a Mediterranean Population at High Cardiovascular Risk.” Nutrients 11, no. 4 (2019): 754.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution(CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted February 17, 2020.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Bibiloni MdM, Julibert A, Bouzas C, et al. Nut Consumptions as a Marker of Higher Diet Quality in a Mediterranean Population at High Cardiovascular Risk. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):754.
  2. O’Neil CE, Nicklas TA. Tree nut consumption is associated with better nutrient adequacy and diet quality in adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010. Nutrients. 2015;7(1):595-607.
  3. Chen G-C, Zhang R, Martínez-González MA, et al. Nut consumption in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a meta-analysis 18 prospective studies. Food & function. 2017;8(11):3893-3905.
  4. American Heart Association. About Metabolic Syndrome. 2020; https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/metabolic-syndrome/about-metabolic-syndrome. Accessed February 12, 2020.