Effects of one serving of mixed nuts on serum lipids, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers in patients with the metabolic syndrome

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 126 - 135
• Main Authors: Casas-Agustench, P, López-Uriarte, P, Bulló, M, Ros, E, Cabré-Vila, J.J, Salas-Salvadó, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2011
• Subjects: Adiposity; Adult; almonds; Analysis of Variance; biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Blood Glucose; blood lipids; blood pressure; Cardiovascular; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Diet; Energy Metabolism; fasting; Female; hazelnuts; healthy diet; homeostasis; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - prevention & control; insulin; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - blood; Linear Models; Lipid profile; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; Male; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - diet therapy; Middle Aged; Nuts; Obesity - metabolism; patients; walnuts; weight loss; CRP; MCP-1; Nuts; C-reactive protein; ATP III; MUFA; Lipid profile; Adult Treatment Panel III; Metabolic syndrome; Interleukin-6; SFA; resting energy expenditure; saturated fatty acid; ANCOVA; monocyte chemotactic protein-1; PAI-1; oxygen; monounsaturated fatty acid; O 2; cardiovascular disease; CO 2; carbon dioxide; PUFA; Inflammation; Homeostasis Model Assessment; IL-6; CVD; MetS; REE; plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; interleukin-18; IL-18; Insulin resistance; HOMA; analysis of covariance; polyunsaturated fatty acid
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2009.08.005

Abstract Background and aims Knowledge of the effect of nut consumption on metabolic syndrome (MetS) components is limited. We assessed the effects of nut intake on adiposity, serum lipids, insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with MetS. Methods and results In a randomized, parallel-group, 12-week feeding trial, 50 patients with MetS were given recommendations for a healthy diet with or without supplementation with 30 g/day of raw nuts (15 g walnuts, 7.5 g almonds and 7.5 g hazelnuts) (Nut and Control diet groups, respectively). Adiposity measures, serum lipids, insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other inflammatory biomarkers, and 48-h fecal fat were determined basally and at study's completion. Moderate weight loss, decreased adiposity, and lower blood pressure occurred similarly after both diets. The Control, but not the Nut diet, was associated with significant ( P < 0.05) reduction of LDL-cholesterol, with mean changes of −0.36 versus −0.13 mmol/L, respectively (between-group differences, P = 0.154). The Nut diet reduced fasting insulin by 2.60 μU/mL (95% CI, −4.62 to −0.59) and HOMA-insulin resistance by 0.72 (−1.28 to −0.16) ( P < 0.05 versus Control diet; both). Among inflammatory markers, the Nut diet resulted in changes of median plasma IL-6 of −1.1 ng/L (−2.7 to −0.1; P = 0.035 versus Control diet), but adjustment for weight loss attenuated the significance of the association. Stool fat decreased with the Control diet and slightly increased with the Nut diet ( P < 0.05 for between-group differences). Conclusion Patients with MetS show decreased lipid responsiveness but improved insulin sensitivity after daily intake of 30 g of mixed nuts.