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

Effects of nut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart diseases. (2022).
This paper summarises the role of regular nut consumption in protecting against cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery disease. The researchers outline the possible underlying mechanisms through which nuts are protective, including by modifying lipid and glucose metabolism, reducing inflammation, improving endothelial function, weight control and reducing oxidative stress. They say further human clinical trials are needed to find the exact and most effective pathways by which nuts prevent or reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

The effect of walnut intake on lipids: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (2022).
This review considered 13 randomised controlled trials which assessed the impact of walnut intake on blood lipids. Walnut intake was associated with significant reductions in total cholesterol (weighted mean difference (WMD): −0.48mmol/L), LDL-cholesterol (WMD: −0.32mmol/L), and triglycerides (WMD: −0.61mmol/L). Walnut consumption did not impact HDL-cholesterol. Subgroup analysis showed that those with comorbidities, or with overweight/obesity, had more lipid improvement.

The effect of almond intake on cardiometabolic risk factors, inflammatory markers, and liver enzymes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022).
This review pooled the data from 26 eligible trials, comprising 1,750 people. Almond intake was found to significantly decrease diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and very LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05). The researchers concluded that the current body of evidence supports the consumption of almonds for their beneficial lipid-lowering and antihypertensive effects. However, the effects of almonds on anti-inflammatory markers, glycaemic control, and hepatic enzymes needs further investigation.

Acute feeding with almonds compared to a carbohydrate-based snack improves appetite-regulating hormones with no effect on self-reported appetite sensations: A randomised controlled trial. (2022).
This study, involving 140 people, examined the hormones that regulate appetite, and how nuts – specifically almonds, might contribute to appetite control. It found that almond consumption impacted appetite-regulating hormones, such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide. And the study participants that consumed almonds, as opposed to an energy-equivalent carbohydrate snack, lowered their energy intake by 300 kilojoules at the subsequent meal.

The impact of almonds and almond processing on gastrointestinal physiology, luminal microbiology and gastrointestinal symptoms: A randomized controlled trial and mastication study. (2022).
This parallel, 3-arm randomised controlled trial, involving 87 healthy adults, looked at the impact of whole almonds and ground almonds (almond flour) on fecal bifidobacteria, gut microbiota composition, and gut transit time. Participants received whole almonds (56 g/day), ground almonds (56 g/day), or an isocaloric control in place of habitual snacks for 4 weeks. Almond consumption increased butyrate, suggesting positive alterations to microbiota functionality. However, there were no significant differences in fecal bifidobacteria abundance, and almonds did not affect the gut microbiota at the phylum level or diversity, or gut transit time. The researchers concluded that almonds can be incorporated into the diet to increase fibre consumption without gut symptoms.

Influence of pistachios on force production, subjective ratings of pain, and oxidative stress following exercise-induced muscle damage in moderately trained athletes: A randomized, crossover trial. (2022).
This study assessed the impact of pistachio consumption, for two weeks in 27 young adult men, on subjective pain ratings, force production, vertical jump, and biochemical indices of recovery after a 40-minute downhill run. It found eating 90g/day of pistachios can reduce delayed onset of muscle soreness and maintain muscle strength, potentially promoting exercise tolerance and training adaptations.

Effects of short-term pistachio consumption before and throughout recovery from an intense exercise bout on cardiometabolic markers. (2022).
This study looked at the short-term (2 weeks) effects of two different doses (45g/day, and 90g/day) of pistachios, and a water-only control, on the biomarkers of metabolic health in 27 young adult men, after exercise. Consumption of 90g/day of pistachios enhanced the acute effects of exercise, and improved LDL-cholesterol levels 72 hours after exercise. No significant impact of exercise or either dose of pistachios was seen for total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, insulin or insulin sensitivity over the same period.

Recent studies on protective effects of walnuts against neuroinflammation. (2022).
This review focuses on the potential influence and main regulating mechanisms of walnuts and their active ingredients on neuroinflammation. The findings suggest that a healthy diet rich in walnuts may be effective in improving chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration. Walnuts have multiple anti-inflammatory ingredients which may have additive or synergistic effects in inhibiting inflammation. However, the level of evidence is weak given that the bulk of studies to date come from experimental work, with evidence from clinical studies scarcer and less conclusive.

A review on plant-based tree nuts beverages: technological, sensory, nutritional, health and microbiological aspects. (2022).
This review looked at 54 previously-published articles on plant-based tree nut beverages – under the ‘categories’ of food technology, nutrition and health, microbiological aspects, and sensory and consumer studies. Overall, the 19 ‘nutrition and health’ articles suggest that plant-based tree nut beverages have beneficial nutritional and functional profiles, but cannot be considered as a substitute, in their entirety, for dairy milk, except in the case of allergies to this food. However, the researchers point out that there is a wide variety of tree nuts, each one with a unique nutritional profile and very individual characteristics.

Health and environmental impacts of plant-rich dietary patterns: A US prospective cohort study. (2022).
This prospective cohort study used data from a food-frequency questionnaire in the US-based Nurses’ Health Study II. Participants were categorised by quintiles of four dietary indices, including the alternative healthy eating index-2010 (AHEI), plant-based diet index (PDI), unhealthy PDI, and healthy PDI. It found that dietary patterns that are linked with reduced cardiovascular disease risk also had lower greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogenous fertiliser, cropland, and irrigation water needs. Not all plant-based diets conferred the same health and environmental benefits.

Adherence to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet in relation to psychological function in recovered COVID-19 patients: A case-control study. (2022).
This first-of-its-kind, case-control study, involving 246 adults, looked at the correlation between psychological functions and the DASH diet among recovered COVID-19 patients. It found high adherence to a DASH-type diet was linked with lower odds of depression and stress. And specifically, the intake of nuts, seeds, and legumes (components of the DASH dietary pattern) were linked with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress scores among recovered COVID-19 patients.