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Nuts and cardiovascular disease: What does the science say?
23 May 2023
Nuts and cardiovascular disease: What does the science say?
A major new review (1) shows regularly eating nuts, as part of a healthy diet, positively impacts a range of biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, to create an overall CVD risk reduction.
A total of 153 articles, describing 139 randomised controlled trials (81 parallel design and 58 cross-over design) were included in the systematic review, with 129 studies in the meta-analysis.
The review, by Australian-based researchers, found eating nuts favourably impacts a wide range of biomarkers of CVD, including:
- Total cholesterol (TC)
- LDL-cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- TC:HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol:HDL cholesterol, and
- Apolipoprotein B.
And this, in turn, creates an overall CVD risk reduction.
The researchers state that the cardioprotective effect of nuts is likely due to their unique nutritional make up, and the synergistic effect of multiple bioactive components, within the food matrix.
The findings of this review also build on previous observational and intervention meta-analyses, which have shown an inverse association between nut consumption and risk of CVD (2-8).
Nuts are nutrient-dense whole foods. Given their unique nutritional profile and the substantial body of evidence, a daily 30g handful of nuts, within the context of a healthy diet, should be considered in reducing the risk of CVD. – University of Wollongong
In Australia, nut intake has been estimated at an average of 4.61g/day, with only 5.6% of the population consuming the recommended daily amount of nuts (9).
The Summary Report for health professionals outlines these key findings, along with the outcomes of 37 prospective cohort studies which explored the linked between nut consumption and cardiovascular endpoints.
References
- Houston L., et al. Tree nut and peanut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Advances in Nutrition, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.004
- Mayhew AJ., et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of nut consumption and incident risk of CVD and all-cause mortality. Br. J. Nutr., 2016. 115(2):212-25.
- Aune D., et al. Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMC Med, 2016. 14(1):207.
- Luo C., et al. Nut consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2014. 100(1):256-69.
- Zhou D., et al. Nut consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease risk and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2014. 100(1):270-7.
- Grosso G., et al. Nut consumption on all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2015. 101(4):783-93.
- Becerra-Tomás N., et al. Nut consumption and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease mortality: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Nutr. Rev., 2019. 77(10):691-709.
- Del Gobbo LC., Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and dose-response of 61 controlled intervention trials. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2015. 102(6):1347-56.
- Nikodijevic CJ., Nut consumption in a representative survey of Australians: A secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Public Health Nutr, 2020. 23(18):3368-78.
Published May 23, 2023
For information purposes only. ©2024 Nuts for Life
