Dietary vitamin D intake and colorectal cancer risk: a longitudinal approach within the PREDIMED study.
Purpose. We evaluated whether the intake of dietary vitamin D is associated with the incidence of both colorectal cancer (CRC) and colon cancer in the framework of the PREDIMED cohort of older adults at high cardiovascular risk. Methods. We analyzed data from 7216 men and women (55–80 years) without CRC at baseline from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea study. Baseline consumption of vitamin D was assessed using a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) of CRC and colon cancer incidence were estimated for quartiles and per 1-SD of baseline vitamin D intake. Results. During a median follow-up of 6 years, we documented 97 incident CRC cases after the exclusion of subjects with no baseline dietary data and/or outliers of energy intake. A non-significant HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CRC for the comparison of extreme quartiles (4th vs 1st) of vitamin D intake were observed [0.55 (0.30–1.00), P for trend = 0.072], whereas it was significant for colon cancer incidence alone [0.44 (0.22–0.90), P for trend = 0.032]. However, this association became significant in CRC and colon cancer incidence, after excluding 391 subjects consuming baseline vitamin D and/or calcium medication or prescribed supplements [0.52 (0.28–0.96) and 0.41 (0.12–0.85), respectively]. Conclusion. A higher dietary intake of vitamin D was significantly associated with a reduced CRC risk in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02585-1
Genetically-determined variations of SELENOP are associated with antioxidant, muscular, and lipid biomarkers in response to Brazil nut consumption by patients using statins.
Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could indirectly, as well directly, influence metabolic parameters related to health effects in response to selenium (Se) supplementation. This study aimed to investigate whether the selenoprotein SNPs were associated with the response of Se status biomarkers to the Brazil nut consumption in patients using statins and if the variation in Se homoeostasis could affect antioxidant protection, lipid profile, muscle homoeostasis and selenoproteins mRNA. The study was performed in the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital. Thirty-two patients using statins received one unit of Brazil nut daily for 3 months. Body composition, blood Se concentrations, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triacylglycerol (TAG), creatine kinase (CK) activity and gene expression of GPX1 and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) were evaluated before and after Brazil nut consumption. The volunteers were genotyped for SNP in GPX1 (rs1050450) and SELENOP (rs3877899 and rs7579). SNPs in selenoproteins were not associated with plasma and erythrocyte Se, but SNPs in SELENOP influenced the response of erythrocyte GPX activity and CK activity, TAG and LDL after Brazil nut consumption. Also, Brazil nut consumption increased GPX1 mRNA expression only in subjects with rs1050450 CC genotype. SELENOP mRNA expression was significantly lower in subjects with rs7579 GG genotype before and after the intervention. Thus, SNP in SELENOP could be associated with interindividual differences in Se homeostasis after Brazil nut consumption, emphasising the involvement of genetic variability in response to Se consumption towards health maintenance and disease prevention.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711452100146X
Minimal changes in telomere length after a 12-week dietary intervention with almonds in mid-age to older, overweight, and obese Australians: Results of a randomised clinical trial.
Diet is a modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and a potential modulator of telomere length (TL). The study aim was to investigate associations between diet quality and TL in Australian adults after a 12-week dietary intervention with an almond-enriched diet (AED). Participants (overweight/obese, 50–80 years) were randomised to an AED (n 62) or isoenergetic nut-free diet (NFD, n 62) for 12 weeks. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Guideline Index (DGI), applied to weighed food records, that consists of ten components reflecting adequacy, variety and quality of core food components and discretionary choices within the diet. TL was measured by quantitative PCR in samples of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and whole blood. There were no significant associations between DGI scores and TL at baseline. Diet quality improved with AED and decreased with NFD after 12 weeks (change from baseline AED + 9·8 %, NFD − 14·3 %; P < 0·001). TL increased in neutrophils (+9·6 bp, P = 0·009) and decreased in whole blood, to a trivial extent (–12·1 bp, P = 0·001), and was unchanged in lymphocytes. Changes did not differ between intervention groups. There were no significant relationships between changes in diet quality scores and changes in lymphocyte, neutrophil or whole blood TL. The inclusion of almonds in the diet improved diet quality scores but had no impact on TL mid-age to older Australian adults. Future studies should investigate the impact of more substantial dietary changes over longer periods of time.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114521001549
Effect on gut microbiota of a 1-y lifestyle intervention with Mediterranean diet compared with energy-reduced Mediterranean diet and physical activity promotion: PREDIMED-Plus Study.
Background. The Mediterranean diet is a well-recognized healthy diet that has shown to induce positive changes in gut microbiota. Lifestyle changes such as diet along with physical activity could aid in weight loss and improve cardiovascular risk factors. Objectives. To investigate the effect of an intensive lifestyle weight loss intervention on gut microbiota. Methods. This is a substudy of the PREDIMED-Plus (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea-Plus), a randomized controlled trial conducted in overweight/obese men and women (aged 55–75 y) with metabolic syndrome. The intervention group (IG) underwent an intensive weight loss lifestyle intervention based on an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and physical activity promotion, and the control group (CG) underwent a non-energy-restricted MedDiet for 1 y. Anthropometric, biochemical, and gut microbial 16S rRNA sequencing data were analyzed at baseline (n = 362) and 1-y follow-up (n = 343). Results. IG participants had a weight loss of 4.2 (IQR, –6.8, –2.5) kg compared with 0.2 (IQR, –2.1, 1.4) kg in the CG (P < 0.001). Reductions in BMI, fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and triglycerides and an increase in HDL cholesterol were greater in IG than in CG participants (P < 0.05). We observed a decrease in Butyricicoccus, Haemophilus, Ruminiclostridium 5, and Eubacterium hallii in the IG compared with the CG. Many genera shifted in the same direction within both intervention groups, indicating an overall effect of the MedDiet. Decreases in Haemophilus, Coprococcus 3, and few other genera were associated with a decrease in adiposity parameters in both intervention groups. Changes in Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 were positively associated with changes in MedDiet adherence. Conclusions. Weight loss induced by an energy-restricted MedDiet and physical activity induce changes in gut microbiota. The role of MedDiet-induced changes on the host might be via short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria, whereas with energy restriction, these changes might be modulated with other mechanisms, which need to be explored in future studies. This trial was registered at http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN89898870 as ISRCT 89898870.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab150
Fat regulatory mechanisms of pine nut oil based on protein interaction network analysis
Background: Pine nut oil (PNO), a standardized and well-defined extract of Pinus koraiensis (Korean pine), has beneficial effects on wound healing, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. However, the explanation for the mechanism by which PNO reduces body fat remains uncertain. We performed a protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) analysis to explore the genes associated with pinolenic acid using the MEDILINE database from PubChem and PubMed. It was concluded through the PPIN analysis that PNO was involved in a neutral lipid biosynthetic process. Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of PNO predicted by the network analysis of fat accumulation in chronic obesity mouse models established by feeding a high fat diet (HFD) to C57BL/6J mice and explored potential mechanisms. Methods: HFD mice were fed only HFD or HFD with PNO at 822 and 1644 mg/kg. After an oral administration of 7 weeks, several body weight and body fat-related parameters were examined, including the following: adipose weight, adipocyte size, serum lipid profiles, adipocyte expression of PPAR-γ, sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and leptin. Results: We showed that oral administration of PNO to HFD mice reduces body fat weight, fat in tissue, white adipose tissue weight, and adipocyte size. The serum cholesterol was improved in the HFD mice treated with PNO. Additionally, PNO has significantly attenuated the HFD-induced changes in the adipose tissue expression of PPAR-γ, SREBP-1c, LPL, and leptin. Conclusions: The findings from this study based on the PPIN analysis suggest that PNO has potential as drug to reduce body fat through fat regulatory mechanisms by PPAR-γ and SREBP-1c.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153557
Health Benefits Related to Tree Nut Consumption and Their Bioactive Compounds
Long-term studies with regular tree nut consumption have indicated positive outcomes for multiple health benefits. Here, we review the beneficial effects of tree nuts, highlighting the impact on glucose modulation, body weight management, cardiovascular risk, inflammation, oxidative stress, cognitive performance, and gut microbiota. Nuts are important sources of nutrients and phytochemicals, which, together with a healthy lipid profile, could help prevent certain chronic diseases, protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, and improve cognitive performance, thus reducing the impact of aging and neurodegeneration.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22115960
Effects of supplementing a healthy diet with pecan nuts or extra-virgin olive oil on inflammatory profile of patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial
The consumption of nuts and extra-virgin olive oil has been associated with suppression of inflammatory pathways that contribute to atherosclerosis, but its role on the modulation of the inflammatory profile in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding pecan nuts or extra-virgin olive oil to a healthy diet on inflammatory markers in patients with stable CAD. In this randomized clinical trial, 204 patients were enrolled to three study groups: 67 to control group (CG: healthy diet), 68 to pecan nuts group (PNG: 30g/day of pecans + healthy diet) and 69 to extra-virgin olive oil group (OOG: 30ml/day of extra-virgin olive oil + healthy diet). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, in mg/L), fibrinogen (mg/dL), interleukins (IL) 2, 4, 6, 10 (pg/mL) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ, in pg/mL), IL-6/IL-10, IL-2/IL-4 and INF-γ/IL-4 ratios were evaluated at baseline and after the follow-up (12 weeks). As main results, after adjustment for sex, statin used and relative body weight variation, there were no differences between groups regarding inflammatory markers at the end of the study. IL-6 levels (primary outcome) were reduced in 12 weeks when compared to baseline in all study groups [CG: difference: -0.593 (SE = 0.159) pg/dL; PNG: difference: -0.335 (SE = 0.143) pg/dL; OOG: IL-6 difference: -0.325 (SE = 0.143) pg/dL]. In conclusion, there was no significant effect of including pecan nuts or extra virgin olive oil to a healthy diet on inflammatory markers in individuals with CAD.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114521001513
Acute consumption of a shake containing cashew and Brazil nuts did not affect appetite in overweight subjects: a randomized, cross-over study
Purpose: Evidence from epidemiological and clinical studies suggests that nut consumption provides satiety and may contribute to the management of obesity. However, the effect of acute intake of nuts on appetite responses remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of a shake containing 30 g of cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale L.) and 15 g of Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K) on appetite responses in overweight subjects. Methods: This was a clinical, randomized, controlled, single-blind, cross-over, pilot study. On two non-consecutive test days, 15 subjects received a shake containing nuts, and a shake absent of nuts matched for energy and macronutrient content. Subjective appetite sensation was evaluated by visual analogue scales (VAS). Food intake was measured by weighing the lunch served at the end of each morning-test, which subjects ate ad libitum. Total energy intake was estimated by food records. This study is registered on the Brazilian Registers of Clinical Trials-ReBEC (protocol: U1111-1203-9891). Results: We observed no significant difference in subjective appetite sensations between the groups. Food intake at lunch, as well as energy intake throughout the day also did not differ between the treatments. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the acute intake of a shake containing nuts was not able to enhance satiety, compared to a shake matched for energy and macronutrient content. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the satiety mechanisms of nuts intake.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02560-w
Ameliorating effects of metabolic syndrome with the consumption of rich-bioactive compounds fruits from Brazilian Cerrado: a narrative review
Evidence suggests that bioactive compounds present in fruits and vegetables, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and phytosterols, may have beneficial effects against the development of obesity and other diseases. The fruits of the Brazilian Cerrado are rich in biologically active compounds but are underexplored by the population being used only locally dietary consumption. The objective of this review is to direct attention to the bioactive compounds already elucidated for the fruits of "Cerrado" cashew (Anacadium othanianum Rizz.), baru almond (Dipteryx alata Vogel), cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.), "Cerrado" pear (Eugenia klotzschiana Berg), mangaba (Hancornia speciosa), and pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb), demonstrating possible metabolic effects of the consumption of these fruits on the metabolic syndrome and its risk factors. Studies have shown that Cerrado native fruits have a high content of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, which also demonstrate high antioxidant capacity and may be related to the protective effect in metabolic syndrome-related diseases by act as inhibitors in various processes in lipid metabolism and glucose transport. Although more scientific evidence is still needed, the consumption of native fruits from the Cerrado seems to be a promising strategy which -along with other strategies such as nutritional therapy- can ameliorate the effects of the metabolic syndrome.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1916430
Almond consumption decreases android fat mass percentage in adults with high android subcutaneous adiposity but does not change HbA1c in a randomized controlled trial
The purpose of this study was to determine if the mixed evidence of almond consumption on HbA1c stems from testing people with different body fat distributions (BFD) associated with different risks of glucose intolerance. A 6-month RCT in 134 adults was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to the almond (A) or control (C) group based on their BFD. Those in the almond group consumed 1.5-oz of almonds with their breakfast and as their afternoon snack daily. Those in the control group continued their habitual breakfast and afternoon snack routines. Body weight and composition were measured and blood samples were collected for determination of HbA1c, glycemia and lipemia at 0 and 6-months. Appetite ratings, energy intake, and diet quality were collected at 0, 2, 4 and 6-months. Participants consuming almonds ingested 195±87 kcals/day more than participants in the control group (p=0.03), but this did not result in any differences in body weight (A:-0.3±0.4, C:-0.4±0.4; p>0.3). Participants in the almond, high android subcutaneous adiposity (SAT) group had a greater reduction in android fat mass % (A:-1.0±0.6, C:1.1±0.6; p=0.04), preserved android lean mass % (A:0.9±0.6, C:-1±0.6; p=0.04), and tended to decrease android VAT mass (A:-13±53 g, C:127±53 g; p=0.08) compared to those in the control, high SAT group. There were no differences in HbA1c between groups (A:5.4±0.04, C:5.5±0.04; p>0.05). Thus, BFD may not explain the mixed evidence on almond consumption effects on HbA1c. Long-term almond consumption has limited ability to improve cardiometabolic health in those who are overweight and obese but otherwise healthy.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114521001495