Abstract
The objective of the research was to determine the relation between nut consumption and dietary patterns described by Healthy Eating Index, Mediterranean Diet Score and principal component analysis. In a cross-sectional study, 1852 military men were contacted by mail. Using food-frequency questionnaires, nut consumption was recorded and stratified in weekly versus less than weekly. Three dietary indices were calculated and stratified in quintiles. For principal component analysis, the healthiest dietary pattern rich in fruits and vegetables was selected as Healthy Dietary Pattern. The highest quintiles of Healthy Eating Index, Mediterranean Diet Score and Healthy Dietary Pattern were systematically associated with the highest weekly consumption of nuts. The highest quintiles were also associated with the lowest intake of saturated fat, i.e. between 10 and 12 energy-percent compared with 17 to 19 energy-percent for the lowest quintiles. The mean daily nut consumption was less than 6 g a day, which is beneath the recommended quantity for cardiovascular protection. Nut consumption was associated with the healthiest dietary pattern, independently of the used method to determine the dietary pattern. Regular nut consumption seems to be a component of a cluster of several healthy behaviors.
Highlights
Nut consumption has been related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, probably by lowering blood lipids levels
The objective of the research was to determine the relation between nut consumption and dietary patterns described by Healthy Eating Index, Mediterranean Diet Score and principal component analysis
The mean daily nut consumption was less than 6 g a day, which is beneath the recommended quantity for cardiovascular protection
Summary
Nut consumption has been related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, probably by lowering blood lipids levels. Nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibers, and phytosterols. Nuts are rich in copper, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, niacin, vitamin E and vitamin B6. As recently reviewed by Sabaté et al [1], and based only on human intervention studies, the effects of nuts on blood lipids were dose related and the lipid-lowering effects were greatest among subjects with high baseline LDL-cholesterol. A daily nut consumption of 67 g was associated with a mean reduction of total cholesterol by 5.1%. A major problem of nut consumption is the high fat content and the high energy-density. The total fat content of nuts varies between 45% to 75%. Stimulating regular consumption of nuts can be in conflict with the actual obesity epidemic, where prevention and treatment is associated with more energy-re-
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
