The body of evidence about nuts and health continues to grow. These local and international research papers, published around April 2022, corroborate decades of research about the importance of a regular handful of nuts in a healthy diet.

Nuts and metabolic syndrome: Reducing the burden of metabolic syndrome in menopause. (2022).
This review summarises the evidence to date – prioritising meta-analyses and systematic reviews – on how nut consumption impacts the risk factors for metabolic syndrome that are associated with menopause. It suggests nuts have a beneficial impact on lipids and on carbohydrate metabolism, a likely reduction in both the process of fat accumulation and increase in waist circumference typically linked with menopause, and a potential, but minimal, reduction in blood pressure.

Does the evidence support a relationship between higher levels of nut consumption, lower risk of depression, and better mood state in the general population? A systematic review. (2022).
This systematic review, of 10 previously-published studies, involved more than 66,000 people, across five countries. Six studies looked at nut consumption and depression, and four focussed on nuts and mood state. The researchers concluded: “Higher nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of depression and better mood state in the general population”. They acknowledge that further studies, with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods, will add to knowledge in this area.

Soy foods and nuts consumption during early pregnancy are associated with decreased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective cohort study. (2022).
Consumption of soy foods and nuts were independently inversely associated with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitis (GDM) during early pregnancy (6-14 weeks) among women based in China. Specific to nuts, it found that, compared with those who didn’t consume nuts, those who ate the most (that is, women in the highest tertile of nut intake) had a 35% reduced risk of GDM in early pregnancy. This prospective cohort study involved 1,495 pregnant women, of which 529 were diagnosed with GDM.

Effects of almond on cardiometabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (2022).
Nine randomised controlled trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, which looked at the impact of almond consumption on cardiometabolic outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). It found almond consumption significantly decreased LDL-cholesterol, compared with control. However, almond consumption didn’t impact other cardiometabolic outcomes, including total cholesterol or fasting plasma glucose.

Interplay of walnut consumption, changes in circulating miRNAs and reduction in LDL-cholesterol in elders. (2022).
This study explored whether one-year supplementation with walnuts decreases LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) by affecting the expression of circulating microRNAs (c-miRNA). It involved 330 participants (63–79 year, 68% women), allocated into either a control group (no walnuts) and a walnut group (15% of daily energy as walnuts, or around 30–60g/day of walnuts). Participants in the walnut group showed a one-year decrease in LDL-C (−9.07mg/dL), compared with the control group, but this was independent of c-miRNA.

Effect of peanut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors: A randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis. (2022).
This research had two parts: a six-month parallel randomised controlled trial (the ARISTOTLE study) involving 63 healthy participants, and also a meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials. In the ARISTOTLE study, lower total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios were found in the skin-roasted peanuts group, compared to the control group. The meta-analysis found peanut consumption was associated with a decrease in triglycerides and that healthy consumers had lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios, compared to control groups.

Efficacy of using walnuts as statin adjuvants in hypertension management. (2022).
This three-month clinical trial investigated the efficacy of walnuts (7g/day) as an adjuvant statin in people with hypertension. The research found use of walnuts during hypertension treatment reduced LDL-cholesterol levels within 42.1% and improved HDL-cholesterol levels by 33.6%. Among the findings, the intervention group (walnuts) had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure measures, and apolipoprotein E, compared to the placebo (control) group.

Plant-predominant eating patterns – how effective are they for treating obesity and related cardiometabolic health outcomes? A systematic review. (2022).
This systematic review, of 84 intervention trials, found plant-based diet, in general, improved weight control and lowered the risk of diabetes, compared with usual diets. These ‘plant-predominant diets’ (vegan, vegetarian, plant-based whole foods diets) improved cardiometabolic outcomes related to lipids (such as hyperlipidaemia), cardiovascular end points, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, HbA1C, and fasting glucose.

Is replacing red meat with other protein sources associated with lower risks of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality? A meta-analysis of prospective studies. (2022).
This meta-analysis of 13 prospective observational studies quantified the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality associated with replacing total, unprocessed, or processed red meat with fish/seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs, nuts, and legumes. Specific to nuts, replacing total red meat with nuts was linked with a 16% lower risk of CHD and an 8% lower risk of all-cause mortality. It concluded that increasing healthier protein sources to replace red meat may contribute to the prevention of CHD and premature death.