Nut consumption and metabolic syndrome in US adolescents

The relation between dietary phytochemical index and metabolic health status in overweight and obese adolescents

Previous studies have rarely investigated dietary phytochemicals consumption in relation to metabolic health of adolescents. The current study was performed to investigate dietary phytochemical index (DPI) in relation to metabolic health status in overweight and obese adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 adolescents with overweight or obesity. Dietary intakes of participants were obtained through a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire. DPI was calculated [(dietary energy derived from phytochemical-rich foods (kcal)/total daily energy intake (kcal)) ⨯100]. Glycemic and lipid profiles, blood pressure, and anthropometric indices were also measured. A metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUO) profile was determined based on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and IDF/Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) definitions. Study subjects had a mean age of 13.98 years and 50.2% of them were girls. According to IDF and IDF/HOMA-IR criteria, 38.9% (37 boys, and 42 girls) and 33% (35 boys, and 32 girls) of the study participants were respectively MUO. According to IDF and IDF/HOMA-IR definitions, adolescents in the third DPI tertile had respectively 61% (maximally-adjusted OR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.16-0.91) and 67% (maximally-adjusted OR = 0.33, 95%CI 0.13-0.83) lower odds of being MUO, compared to the first tertile. Stratified analysis by sex indicated that DPI was inversely related to MUO phenotype based on IDF criteria in girls (maximally-adjusted OR = 0.25, 95%CI 0.06-0.98), but not in boys. The current study found that adolescents with a higher dietary intake of phytochemicals have lower odds of being MUO, particularly among girls. However, further large-scale prospective cohort studies are required to confirm this finding.

Nut consumption and academic performance among adolescents: the EHDLA study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nut consumption and academic performance in Spanish adolescents and to explore the role of sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle covariates on this association.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out using a food frequency questionnaire for estimating nut consumption in the number of 20-30 g servings per week, and academic performance data were obtained from school records. Analyses of covariance were adjusted for sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle covariates, including total energy intake.

RESULTS

Among the 846 adolescents included in the analyses (55.3% girls, age range from 12 to 17 years), the mean ± standard deviation consumption of nuts was 2.7 ± 2.8 servings per week, while the mean of all school grades recorded was 6.5 ± 2.0. Furthermore, compared to no consumption, the consumption of ≥ 3 nut servings per week was consistently associated with higher grades in language (p for trend = 0.005), combination of language and math (p for trend = 0.026), grade point average (p for trend = 0.039), and combination of all school records (p for trend = 0.046). These associations were observed regardless of all covariates considered, although sex and socioeconomic level played a significant role in the completely adjusted models.

CONCLUSION

Nut consumption is associated with higher academic performance in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents. These cross-sectional results should be confirmed in longitudinal and intervention studies.

Association between nut consumption and mortality among Chinese older people: A national cohort study based on CLHLS from 2008 to 2018

Background

Few quantitative studies have explored the associations between nut consumption and better health outcomes among a national cohort of community-dwelling older Chinese people. Given the need for more evidence to support the health benefits of nuts among Chinese people, we investigated whether nut consumption was associated with subsequent 10-year mortality.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The data on nut consumption at baseline were collected using a questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. The vital status and date of death were ascertained by a close family member or village doctor of the deceased participant during the follow-up survey. Cox analyses were performed to explore the association between nut consumption and mortality. Subgroup analyses by age group (<80 or ≥80 years), sex (male/female), activities of daily living (impaired or normal), and physical exercise (yes or no) were performed to assess whether the association between nut consumption and mortality differed across different populations.

Results

The median survival time was 1,302 days for the 11,915 participants with complete information of survival time and nut consumption. The association between nut consumption and mortality was significant after the adjusting for significant factors in the univariate Cox analyses. The hazard ratios were lower in male participants, those who were <80 years old, and those who did not engage in physical exercise at baseline. The association between nut consumption and mortality was not significant among participants with normal activities of daily living.

Conclusion

The association between nut consumption and mortality was not significant among participants who had normal activities of daily living but was significant among participants who had impaired activities of daily living. Including nuts in the diets cloud help to extend the lifespan in older Chinese people, especially those with impaired activities of daily living.

Effect of nuts on components of metabolic syndrome in healthy adults with overweight/obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of nut consumption on the metabolic profile of healthy adults with overweight/obesity have yielded conflicting results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of incorporating nuts into the diet on serum lipid profile, glycemic markers, and blood pressure in healthy adults with overweight/obesity.

DATA SYNTHESIS

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched up to April 2021. The random-effects model was used to determine the pooled effect sizes expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with % 95 confidence intervals (CIs). Ten eligible RCTs (with 12 arms) were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that nut intake significantly decreased serum triglycerides (TG) (WMD: -13.19 mg/dL, 95% CI: - 25.90, - 0.48). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed a significant reduction in serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) following adherence to normocaloric, nut-enriched diets (WMD: - 4.56 mg/dL, 95% CI: - 8.24, - 0.88). However, nuts did not affect serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycemic markers, and blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, incorporating nuts into the diet of healthy adults with overweight/obesity have favorable effects on serum TG and LDL-C. Thus, nuts might exert protective effects against dyslipidemia in this population.

REGISTRY NUMBER

PROPSPERO CRD42021250662.

Dietary inflammatory index and metabolic syndrome in US children and adolescents: evidence from NHANES 2001-2018

Background

An increasing number of children and adolescents are affected by metabolic syndrome (MetS). Dietary inflammatory index (DII) was associated with MetS in adult population. This study aimed to determine the associations between DII scores, MetS, and MetS components among children and adolescents.

Methods

Data of children and adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 2001–2008 were obtained. DII was calculated for each participant based on the 24-h dietary recall interview. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to determine the associations between DII, the other study variables and abnormal MetS components.

Results

A total of 5,656 US children and adolescents (mean age = 15.49) in the 2001–2018 NHANES database were included. After adjusting for all confounders in the multivariate analysis, the top DII quartile was significantly and independently associated with increased odds of high blood pressure (BP) (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.02–5.07) as compared with the lowest DII quartile. DII in quartile 2, 3 or 4 were not significantly associated with increased odds of MetS, high waist circumference (WC), low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), triglyceride (TG) or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as compared with the lowest quartile. In stratified analysis by recommended physical activity level for children and adolescents, no significant association was observed between higher DII and MetS.

Conclusions

Among US children and adolescents, high DII is associated with prevalent high BP but not MetS. The finding may contribute to future policymaking in promoting children’s health.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12986-022-00673-5.

Associations between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metabolic syndrome in U.S. adolescents: Cross-sectional results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2016) data

BACKGROUND

The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of risk factors, including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a group of chemicals that are formed during the incomplete combustion of coal, oil and gas, garbage, and other organic substances. In the occupational exposure population, PAHs exposure increased the prevalence ratio of metabolic syndrome. However, the effect of PAHs on prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents has not been reported. Because of the propensity for childhood metabolic risk to track into adulthood, there is a great need to identify risk factors for childhood metabolic syndrome.

METHOD

Using data from the 2003-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We defined metabolic syndrome using a modified version of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel Ⅲ definition for adolescents. Weighted logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio and 95 % confidence intervals for each biomarker. In addition, we applied the weighted quantile sum (WQS) regressions to adolescent metabolic syndrome to reveal the multiple exposure effects and relative weights of each PAH.

RESULTS

Among the 827 adolescents, 183 (22.13 %) had metabolic syndrome. The levels of 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP), 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-PHE), 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU), 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-NAP), 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-FLU) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-PYR) were higher in the group of adolescents with metabolic syndrome. There were positive associations between higher concentrations of 2-NAP, 2-FLU and odds of metabolic syndrome after adjustment, which odds ratios (ORs) in the 3rd tertile were 2.22 (95%CI:1.45-3.44) and 2.09 (95%CI:1.36-3.10), respectively. In subgroups analysis, the ORs between the 3 tertile concentrations of 2-NAP, 2-PHE and high fasting blood glucose (FBG) were 2.20 (95%CI:1.37-3.57) and 1.99 (95%CI:1.16-3.48).

CONCLUSION

The present study suggested that PAHs may be associated with odds of metabolic syndrome as well as individual metabolic syndrome components among adolescents. A cohort study should be designed to clarify the cause and effect between PAHs and metabolic syndrome in future research.

Association of Dietary Patterns with Weight Status and Metabolic Risk Factors among Children and Adolescents

Unhealthy dietary patterns are associated with obesity in children and adolescents. However, few studies have investigated the relationships between dietary patterns and obesity-related metabolic disorders among Asians. We identified dietary patterns in children and adolescents and examined the associations between these patterns and obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome in South Korea. This study is a cross-sectional design. We used baseline data from an intervention study of 435 Korean children and adolescents aged 6–17 years. Insulin resistance was assessed as HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering. Dietary intakes were estimated using 3-day food records. Factor analysis was used to obtain dietary patterns, and we examined the associations between dietary patterns and obesity-related markers adjusted for potential covariates. Three dietary patterns were identified as fast food and soda (FFS), white rice and kimchi (WRK), and oil and seasoned vegetable (OSV) patterns. Compared with participants in the lower intake of FFS pattern, those in the top intake were associated with a higher waist circumference (WC) (β = 1.55), insulin level (β = 1.25), and body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.53) and it was positively associated with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6 (OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.227–3.638) (p < 0.05). WRK pattern was associated with lower weight and higher HDL cholesterol, and the OSV pattern was associated with a lower weight, WC, and insulin level (p < 0.05). The FFS pattern showed a positive relation with WC, serum insulin, and BMI, and the other two dietary patterns indicated a preventive effect of those parameters. The FFS pattern was associated with significantly elevated insulin resistance among children and adolescents.

Does Nut Consumption Reduce Mortality and/or Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease? An Updated Review Based on Meta-Analyses

Aim We aimed to determine if nut consumption decreases mortality and/or the risk of cardiometabolic diseases based on updated meta-analyses of epidemiological and intervention studies. Methods. An updated electronic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Cochrane Library databases for original meta-analyses to investigate the effects of nut consumption on cardiometabolic disease in humans. Results. Seven new meta-analyses were included in this updated review. Findings similar to our previous review were observed, showing that nut consumption significantly decreased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality (−19% to −25%; n = 4), coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (−24% to −30%; n = 3), stroke mortality (−17% to −18%; n = 3), CVD incidence (−15% to −19 %; n = 4), CHD [or coronary artery disease (CAD)] incidence (−17% to −34%; n = 8), and stroke incidence (−10% to −11%; n = 6) comparing high with low categories of nut consumption. Fasting glucose levels (0.08 to 0.15 mmol/L; n = 6), total cholesterol (TC; 0.021 to 0.30 mmol/L; n = 10), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; 0.017 to 0.26 mmol/L; n = 10) were significantly decreased with nut consumption compared with control diets. Body weight and blood pressure were not significantly affected by nut consumption. Conclusion. Nut consumption appears to exert a protective effect on cardiometabolic disease, possibly through improved concentrations of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL-C.

Association between the DASH diet and metabolic syndrome components in Iranian adults

PURPOSES

Diet has an important role in the management of chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association of adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed on 396 Iranian adults, aged ≥18 years. A 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intakes of participants. Fasting blood sample was obtained to quantify glycemic indicators and lipid profile. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on the guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III).

RESULTS

Mean age of study participants was 38.22 ± 9.58 years. A significant inverse association was observed between adherence to DASH diet and odds of MetS (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.54); such that after adjusting for energy intake, socioeconomic status and body mass index (BMI), participants in the highest tertile of DASH diet scores were 49% less likely to have MetS (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.54). Furthermore, adherence to DASH diet was inversely associated with elevated blood pressure (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05-0.29), high serum triglyceride (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.28-1.00) and low serum HDL-C (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.25-1.01). However, this association was marginally significant for triglyceride and HDL-C. No significant association was found between adherence to DASH diet and abdominal obesity.

CONCLUSION

We found that adherence to DASH was inversely associated with odds of MetS and some of its components including elevated blood pressure, low serum HDL-C and high serum triglyceride.

Relationship Between Nut Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Objective: Our aim was to examine the relationship between nut consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to November 2018 for observational studies on the relationship between nut consumption and MetS. The pooled relative risk (RR) of MetS for the highest versus lowest category of nut consumption, as well as their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: A total of 11 observational studies (6 cross-sectional and 5 prospective cohort studies), which involved a total of 89,224 participants, were identified for this meta-analysis. The overall multivariable adjusted RR showed that nut consumption was negatively associated with MetS (RR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.92; p < 0.001). Of interest, subgroup analysis confirmed that such findings existed in tree nuts (RR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-1.00; p = 0.04), but not in peanuts (RR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.96-1.06; p = 0.68). Conclusions: The existing evidence suggested that nut consumption was negatively associated with MetS. However, such an inverse relationship only existed in tree nuts, not in peanuts. More well-designed studies with detailed specifications of nut varieties are needed to further elaborate the issues examined in this study.