Tree Nuts Overview and Health Benefits

1. Tree Nuts Overview and Health Benefits Jamie Stein

2. Contents • Types of nuts • Incorporating into meals • Nutritional composition • Considerations and adverse effects • Health claims • Health benefits research

3. What is a tree nut? • A hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel • Biology-Fruit MyPlate-Protein

4. FDA Tree Nuts • Ginkgo Seeds • Hickory Nut • Lychee Nut • Macadamia • Pecan • Pine Nut • Pili Nut • Pistachio • Sheanut • Walnut • Almond • Beech Nut • Brazil Nut • Butternut • Cashew • Chestnut • Chinquapin • Coconut • Hazelnut

5. Most Common Tree Nuts in the Mediterranean Diet

6. Almond • Botanically a drupe – fruit with fleshy outside, pit • Leathery outside • Sweet, bitter, and long almonds (Jordan almonds) • 80% production today from California

7. Chestnut • “The grain that grows on trees” • Staple in mountainous Mediterranean • Expensive and imported in US due to blight • Main producers are Asian countries and Turkey

8. Hazelnut (Filbert) • Hard, smooth, hazel shell underneath husk • Originated in Asia • Mainly for baking and confectionary • Principal producers are Italy, Spain, US, and Turkey

9. Pine Nut • In the pinecone • Carried as provisions by Roman Legions • Mediterranean or Italian pine nut: torpedo shaped, light and delicate flavor • Chinese pine nut: more pungent • Principal producers are Asian countries and Turkey

10. Pistachio • 7,000 BCE • Native to Syria and Greece, now cultivated all over Mediterranean and US • Buttery taste • Doesn’t need to be shelled before roasting • Main producers are Iran, US, and Turkey

11. Walnut • Also a drupe • 7,000 BCE • English (Persian) • History indicates originally from ancient Persia then spread by English merchants • Main producers are US (California) and Turkey

12. Incorporating Nuts in the Diet

13. In Mediterranean Cooking • More than a snack • Long shelf life • Many applications

14. My Baking Experience • St. James’ Cake – Galicia, Spain

15. Nutrition Information • Each type has different composition • But general estimates: • Calories: 160-200 • Fat: 10-22g (70-99% fat) • 70-90% of the fat is mono- and poly-unsaturated • Protein: 1-7g

16. Nutrition Information

17. Nutrition Information

18. Considerations • Portion control 1 oz. mixed nuts MyPlate equivalents 2 oz. protein + 2 tsp oils • Handful a day • Avoid candied, honey-roasted and heavily salted nuts

20. Adverse Effects • Allergies • 1.8 million Americans • Lifelong • Can cause anaphylactic reaction • Avoid other tree nuts and peanuts • Unexpected sources: • Salad dressing • Chicken breading • Pancakes • Pasta • Honey

21. Health BenefitsThe Research

22. ADA Evidence Analysis Library • “There is moderate evidence that consumption of unsalted peanuts and tree nuts, specifically walnuts, almonds and pistachios, in the context of a nutritionally adequate diet and when total calorie intake is held constant, has a favorable impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly serum lipid levels.” Grade II-Fair

23. Unqualified Health Claim • Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

24. Research Weight management Diabetes management Dementia

25. Weight Management • Prospective study of nut consumption, • long-term weight change, • and obesity risk in women • Bes-Rastrollo M, Wedick NM, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Li TY, Sampson L, and Hu FB • Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1913–9.

26. Study Design • Prospective cohort • Subjects • Nurse’s Health Study II • 51,188 women

27. Methods • Food frequency questionnaires (1991-1999) • including nut consumption • Exclusions • Obese • Nutrition-related chronic diseases

28. Data Analysis • 4 categories: • Never/almost never • 1-3 times/mo • 1 time/wk • >2 times/wk • Adjusted for possible confounding factors (dietary and lifestyle)

29. Results ↑ frequency nut consumption ↓ amount of weight gained .37 kg 1.01 kg

30. Results Overall nut consumption associated with slightly lower risk of obesity

31. Conclusions • Frequent nut consumption was not associated with greater body weight gain during 8 years • Slightly lower risk of weight gain and obesity • Incorporating nuts into monitored diet may be beneficial for weight control • Need to stress replacement into diet to avoid excess caloric intake

32. Diabetes Management • Long-term effects of increased dietary polyunsaturated fat from walnuts on metabolic parameters in type II diabetes • Tapsell LC, Batterham MJ, Teuss G, Tan SY, Dalton S, Quick CJ, Gillen LJ, and Charlton KE. • Eur J Clin Nutr 2009;63:1008-1015.

33. Hypothesis • over 12 months a sustained high PUFA intake would significantly affect • body fat • regulatory hormone levels (insulin, leptin) • other indicators of metabolic change (glucose, lipids, energy expenditure)

34. Study Design • 1-year parallel randomized control • Subjects blind to control group’s diet • Subjects • 50 overweight adults, 35-75y • previously diagnosed T2DM • not insulin-treated

35. Methods • Randomized to receive low-fat diet advice with or without 30g/d walnuts • Aimed for weight maintenance • Fat modification (5% PUFA 15% MUFA, 10% PUFA 10% MUFA) • Assessed differences with anthropometrics and clinical indicators of DM

36. Results

37. Conclusions • Modifying types of fat consumed affect body fat distribution • Weight loss was more sustainable for group with higher intake PUFAs • As part of a low-fat diet, walnuts can help reduce fasting insulin levels in individuals with T2DM in early stages of intervention

38. Dementia • Protective Effects of Walnut Extract Against Amyloid Beta Peptide-Induced Cell Death and Oxidative Stress in PC12 Cells • Muthaiyah B, Essa MM, Chauhan V, Chauhan A • Neurochem Res 2011;36:2096-2103.

39. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) • Major pathological features • Aggregation of amyloid beta-protein (Aβ) in brain cells • Deposition of amyloid plaque • Oxidative stress and inflammation may cause the neuronal dysfunction

40. Purpose • To analyze the effect of walnut extract on cells induced with Aβ-protein that is causing cytotoxicity and oxidative damage • in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

41. Methods • Prepared walnut extract • Cultured PC12 cells • Aggregated Aβ-protein • Placed Aβ into the cells • Assessed cell viability, membrane damage, DNA damage for apoptosis, and free radical generation • Data Analysis • 3 groups of different walnut concentrations • 0μg, 2μg, or 4μg GAE (Gallic acid equivalent)

42. Results Aβ induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells significantly

43. Conclusions • Diet rich in walnuts may • Reduce neuronal loss • Reduce risk of AD • Protects against Aβ–induced cell death by • Reducing free radicals • Inhibiting membrane damage • Delaying DNA damage

44. Summary • Variety of ways to incorporate into meals • Substitute into a diet low in saturated fats • Studies suggest that: • Has favorable impact on CV risk factors • Lower risk of obesity • May help with weight control • Can reduce fasting insulin levels in T2DM individuals • May delay cell death/damage in Alzheimer’s Disease

45. Sources • Merriam-Webster. Dictionary. 2011. Available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/. Accessed October 5, 2011. • U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Section 201(qq) of the Act defines the term "major food allergen" to include "tree nuts." FDA Basics for Industry. 2011. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/FDABasicsforIndustry/ucm238807.htm. Accessed September 20, 2011. • Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia [serial online]. 1997. Available from: EBSCOhost. Accessed October 5, 2011. • Ternus M. The International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation Web site. 2010. Available at: http://nuthealth.org/. Accessed September 20, 2011. • Kiple KF, Ornelas, KC. II.D.1. – Chestnuts. The Cambridge World History of Food. Available at: http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/chestnuts.htm. Accessed October 16, 2011. • Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board. Oregon Hazelnuts Web site. 2006. Available at: http://oregonhazelnuts.org/index.php. Accessed October 16, 2011. • USDA. Protein Foods Gallery. Available at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/food_library/proteinfoods/mixed_nuts.html. Accessed September 25, 2011. • USDA. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Available at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed October 5, 2011. • The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. Education: Tree Nuts. 2011. Available at: http://www.foodallergy.org/page/tree-nut-allergy. Accessed September 20, 2011.

46. Sources • Food and Drug Administration. Appendix D: Qualified Health Claims. Guidance for Industry: A Food Labeling Guide. October, 2009. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/ucm064923.htm. Accessed September 20, 2011. • Bes-Rastrollo M, Wedick NM, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Li TY, Sampson L, Hu FB. Prospective study of nut consumption, long-term weight change, and obesity risk in women. Am J ClinNutr[serial online]. 2009;89:1913–9. Available from: PubMed. Accessed September 25, 2011. • Tapsell LC, Batterham MJ, Teuss G, Tan SY, Dalton S, Quick CJ, Gillen LJ, and Charlton KE. Long-term effects of increased dietary polyunsaturated fat from walnuts on metabolic parameters in type II diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr [serial online].2009;63:1008-1015. Accessed October 15, 2011. • Muthaiyah B, Essa MM, Chauhan V, Chauhan A. Protective effects of walnut extract against amyloid beta peptide-induced cell death and oxidative stress in PC12 cells. Neurochem Res [serial online]. 2011;36:2096-2103. Available at: SpringerLINK Journals. Accessed October 13, 2011.

47. Questions?