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Symposium Nuts and Cardiovascular Health

Barcelona, Spain, March 4, 2010

The INC organized the Symposium “Nuts and Cardiovascular Health”, on March, 4th, 2010, in Barcelona, Spain, within the frame of the 2nd Congress of the Federation of Societies of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics (FESNAD), March 3-5, 2010, at the Catalunya Palace of Congresses, Barcelona.

The INC 90-minute Symposium gathered leading nut researchers from Europe, the United States and Australia, and provided the opportunity to share information on the health benefits of nuts with a large group of health influencers, researchers and specialized media. The session reviewed the main scientific studies that have examined the health benefits of nuts consumption in the last 5 years. Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, member of the INC Scientific Committee, co-moderated the session.

The INC will also be publishing the proceedings of the Symposium in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals specialized in nutrition and dietetics.

PROGRAM
Moderators:

		Dr. Emilio Ros, Lipids Unit of Barcelona Hospital Clinic (Spain)
		Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Human Nutrition Unit, University Rovira i Virgili (Spain)

Session I:
Nut consumption, weight gain and obesity
Prof. Miguel A. Martínez-González, University of Navarra (Spain)
Link to Presentation

Session II:
Nuts, lipids and cardiovascular risk
Dr. Joan Sabaté, Loma Linda University (USA)
Link to Presentation

Session III:
Nuts, insulin sensitivity and diabetes
Dr. Linda C Tapsell, University of Wollongong (Australia)
Link to Presentation

SCIENTIFIC INTERVENTION

INDUSTRY INTERVENTION

Session I: Nut consumption, weight gain and obesity
Prof. Miguel A. Martínez-González, University of Navarra (Spain)

Two large cohorts have investigated the long-term association between nut consumption and weight gain or the incidence of overweight/obesity. In the SUN cohort study (Spain), following-up 8,865 adult men and women for a median of 28 months, frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). In the Nurses Health Study II which included 51,188 women aged 20–45 higher nut consumption was not associated with greater body weight gain during 8 years of follow-up. Instead, it was associated with a slightly lower risk of weight gain and obesity. The results of these two studies suggest that incorporating nuts into diets does not lead to greater weight gain and may help weight control.

Miguel A. Martínez-González, MD, PhD, MPH, chairs the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical School, University of Navarra, Spain. He is Coordinator of the Research Network RD 06/0045 “Healthy Diet for Prevention of Chronic Disease” (PREDIMED Effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases), and the principal investigator of the SUN cohort study (>20,000 participants) funded by the Spanish Government, the Carlos III Health Institute, FIS and the Navarra Government, Department of Health (10 grants, 2001-2009).

Session II: Nuts, lipids and cardiovascular risk
Dr. Joan Sabaté, Loma Linda University (USA)

Eating nuts regularly is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease in epidemiology studies; clinical trials have shown the beneficial effects of nut consumption on the serum lipid profile. Results of a recently conducted pooled analysis of 25 intervention trials confirm the cholesterol lowering effects of nuts. Thus, nut consumption is proposed as a sensible and practical recommendation for heart-healthy diets.

Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, is the Chair of the Department of Nutrition in the School of Public Health in Loma Linda University where he conducts research and teaches graduate students. He was the first to report the cholesterol-lower effects of nuts and its beneficial properties on heart health. Dr. Sabaté’s most recent research has focused on the relationship of pecans, almonds, peanuts and walnuts to CHD risk and includes a research project in Lyon, France, conducting analysis on the data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Session III: Nuts, insulin sensitivity and diabetes
Dr. Linda C Tapsell, University of Wollongong (Australia)

Nuts are an important source of dietary fat, which is not just a source of calories. It has potent gene regulation effects and influences membrane composition and function. 3 dietary studies have included walnuts in a low fat diet. In the first study consuming 30g walnuts per day for 6 months resulted in improved lipid profiles in subjects with type 2 diabetes. In the second including 30g walnuts per day for one year demonstrated improvements in body weight and fasting insulin levels. The third study examined the effects of a meal containing walnuts on the person’s ability to burn fat.

Linda Tapsell, PhD, is a Fellow of the Dietitians Association of Australia with a research focus on demonstrating the health benefits of foods in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. She is Director of Nutrition Research in the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia, and Editor in Chief of the journal Nutrition and Dietetics.

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