Abstract
The main objective of this study was to estimate the association between nut consumption and body composition-related measures and to examine whether this relationship is mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and the muscle strength index (MSI) in young adults. A cross-sectional study involving college students (n = 354) aged 18–30 years from a Spanish public university was conducted. Body composition and fitness components were assessed using standard methods. Nut consumption was evaluated using a Food-Frequency Questionnaire. ANCOVA models were used to assess the mean differences in physical fitness and body composition by nut consumption categories. Hayes’s PROCESS macro was applied for mediation and interaction analyses adjusted for the main confounders. Young adults with high nut consumption (≥5 portions of 30 g/week) showed significantly higher values of physical fitness components and fat-free mass and lower values of adiposity-related measures than their peers in the lowest categories of nut consumption (˂1 portion/week) (p < 0.05). No significant interaction between CRF and nut consumption on body composition was found. In the mediation analysis, CRF and MSI acted as full mediators of the relationship of nut consumption with fat-free mass and waist circumference/height index. Otherwise, CRF and MSI partially mediated the relationship between nut consumption and body mass index and percent of fat mass. Finally, nut consumption, per se, does not appear to have a significant impact on body composition indicators because these associations have been shown to be partially (for BMI and %BF) or entirely (for ratio WC/height and fat-free mass) explained by CRF and MSI.
Highlights
Current evidence supports the recommendation of tree nut and peanut intake for the prevention and nonpharmacological therapy of chronic conditions such as, dyslipidemia, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular mortality [1,2,3]
Similar findings were observed when we examined the role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength index (MSI) in the relationship between nut consumption and %BF (Figure 3e,f)
Our data preliminary support that (i) high nut consumption (≥5 serving portions/week) is associated with an improvement in physical fitness components compared with low consumption (
Summary
Current evidence supports the recommendation of tree nut (i.e., almond, pistachio, walnut) and peanut intake for the prevention and nonpharmacological therapy of chronic conditions such as, dyslipidemia, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular mortality [1,2,3]. As nuts provide a substantial amount of energy (calories/g) [4] and have a high nutritional density [5], whether nutrient consumption leads to weight gain and increased body fat is a common concern [6,7]. A recent systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) noted that the intake of nuts or nut products did not lead to weight gain [9]. RCTs provide well-controlled higher-quality data, observational studies provide real-world and more generalizable evidence on the risks and benefits of diet-related exposures [10], such as nut consumption.
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