Nuts as a Part of Dietary Strategy to Improve Metabolic Biomarkers: A Narrative Review

Background

Nuts are in the spotlight because of their association with improved health outcomes. We aimed to summarize the findings of previous studies to evaluate the impact of nuts consumption on glycaemic and lipid profile, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Methods

Electronic searches for observational and intervention studies were undertaken in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Science Direct until 2022 for searching the studies aiming the application of different types of nuts and the beneficial effects of nuts in improving glycemia, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Results

Results from 56 interventional, 9 narrative and 3 systematic reviews, and 12 meta-analysis studies, aiming at the evaluating beneficial effects of different types of nuts on metabolic markers, showed that nut consumption could improve metabolic markers, including glycaemic factors, lipid profile, and inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in both healthy and individuals with metabolic disorders in a type-, dose- and duration-dependent manner. According to their unique nutrient components, nuts can be known as a part of a healthy diet, resulting in improved metabolic biomarkers.

Conclusion

Considering the efficacy of nuts in improving metabolic markers, incorporation of, incorporating nuts the effectiveness of nuts in improving metabolic markers, incorporating nuts in the diet may prevent the incidence or aggravation of chronic metabolic diseases. Considering the health benefits of the nuts' components, including essential micronutrients, if consumed in the appropriate dose and duration to provide the necessary amount of effective micronutrients to improve health, we will see an improvement in metabolic factors. At the same time, more research is required to determine the optimal type, dose, and duration of nut intervention with regards to metabolic control and reducing the risk of developing metabolic disorders.

Development of Health Products from Natural Sources

BioActive Compounds (BACs) recovered from food or food by-product matrices are useful in maintaining well being, enhancing human health, and modulating immune function to prevent or to treat chronic diseases. They are also generally seen by final consumers as safe, non-toxic and environment-friendly. Despite the complex process of production, chemical characterization, and assessment of health effects, BACs must also be manufactured in stable and bioactive ingredients to be used in pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical industry. Generally, vegetable derivatives occur as sticky raw materials with pervasive smell and displeasing flavor. Also, they show critical water solubility and dramatic stability behavior over time, involving practical difficulties for industrial use. Therefore, the development of novel functional health products from natural sources requires the design of a suitable formulation to delivery BACs at the site of action, preserve stability during processing and storage, slow down the degradation processes, mask lousy tasting or smell, and increase the bioavailability, while maintaining the BACs functionality. The present review focuses on human health benefits, BACs composition, and innovative technologies or formulation approaches of natural ingredients from some selected foods and by-products from industrial food transformations.