1.
Nuts, hypertension and endothelial function.
Casas-Agustench, P, López-Uriarte, P, Ros, E, Bulló, M, Salas-Salvadó, J
Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD. 2011;:S21-33
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS High blood pressure (BP) is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Among lifestyle factors, diet plays a key role in the prevention and control of high BP. Therefore, it is important to elucidate which dietary components can exert beneficial effects on BP through modulation of endothelial function (EF) or by other mechanisms. In this paper we review the role of nutrients, foods, particularly nuts, and dietary patterns on BP control. DATA SYNTHESIS Because nuts are low in sodium and contain significant amounts of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium, and antioxidants, they have been suggested as potentially protective foods against hypertension. Limited evidence from prospective studies and clinical trials suggests that nut consumption has a beneficial effect on both BP and EF. However, BP changes were a secondary outcome in nut feeding trials and no study used ambulatory BP monitoring as the standard for BP measurements. CONCLUSIONS Further clinical trials, ideally using ambulatory BP monitoring, are needed to establish the potential protective effect of nut consumption on hypertension and vascular reactivity.
2.
Effect of nut consumption on oxidative stress and the endothelial function in metabolic syndrome.
López-Uriarte, P, Nogués, R, Saez, G, Bulló, M, Romeu, M, Masana, L, Tormos, C, Casas-Agustench, P, Salas-Salvadó, J
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2010;(3):373-80
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Oxidative stress has a key role in atherosclerosis, cancer and other chronic diseases. Some bioactive compounds in nuts have been implicated in antioxidant activities. OBJECTIVE We assessed how nut consumption affected several markers of oxidation and endothelial function (EF) in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A randomized, controlled, parallel feeding trial was conducted on 50 MetS adults who were recommended a healthy diet supplemented or not with 30 g of mixed nuts (Nut and Control groups, respectively) every day for 12 weeks. The plasma antioxidant capacity (AC), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), conjugated diene (CD) formation, urine 8-isoprostanes, DNA damage assessed by yield of urine 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), and EF assessed by peripheral artery tonometry (PAT) and biochemical markers, were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention. RESULTS No significant differences in changes between groups were observed in AC, oxLDL, CD, 8-isoprostanes or EF during the intervention, whereas the reduction in DNA damage was significant in the Nut group compared to Control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Nut consumption has no deleterious effect on lipid oxidation. The decrease in DNA damage observed in this study could contribute to explain the beneficial effects of regular nut consumption on some MetS features and several chronic diseases.
3.
The effect of nuts on inflammation.
Salas-Salvadó, J, Casas-Agustench, P, Murphy, MM, López-Uriarte, P, Bulló, M
Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2008;:333-6
Abstract
Inflammation is one of the recognised mechanisms involved in the development of atherosclerotic plaque and insulin resistance. Inflammatory or endothelial markers such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) have been identified as independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes in human prospective studies. Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that some dietary factors, such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, dietary fiber, L-arginine and magnesium may play an important role in modulating inflammation. The relationship observed between frequent nut consumption and the reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality and type 2 diabetes in some prospective studies could be explained by the fact that nuts are rich in all of these modulator nutrients. In fact, frequent nut consumption has been associated with lower concentrations of some peripheral inflammation markers in cross-sectional studies. Nut consumption has also been shown to decrease the plasma concentration of CRP, IL-6 and some endothelial markers in recent clinical trials.