Grand Rounds

Is Nut Consumption Associated with Reduced Weight Gain?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Liu et al. (BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2019) assessed the association between nut consumption with long-term weight change

Secondary analysis of data from three prospective, longitudinal cohorts
- Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2010) | Nurses’ Health Study (1986-2010) | Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2011)
Participants
- Health professionals in the US
- No chronic disease at baseline
- Study design and data analysis using multivariate linear models assessed
- Changes in nut consumption over 4-year intervals
- Concurrent weight change over 20–24 years of follow-up

27,521 men (HPFS) | 61,680 women (NSH) | 55,684 (NHSII)
- Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m): 21,322 by end of follow-up
- Average weight gain: 0.32 kg per year
Nut consumption was significantly associated with less weight gain per 4-year interval (p<0.01 for all)
- Total consumption of nuts: −0.19 kg (95% CI, -0.21 to -0.17)
- Walnuts: -0.37 kg (95% CI, -0.45 to -0.30)
- Other tree nuts: -0.36 kg (95% CI, -0.40 to -0.31)
- Peanuts: -0.15 kg (95% CI, -0.19 to -0.11)
Increasing intakes of nuts, walnuts, and other tree nuts by 0.5 servings/day was associated with a lower risk of obesity
- Total nuts: Relative Risk (RR) 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99; p=0.0036)
- Walnuts: RR 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.89; p=0.0002)
- Other tree nuts: 0.89 (95% CI, 0.87 to 0.91; p<0.0001)
Nut consumption was associated with a lower risk of gaining ≥2 kg or ≥5 kg (p<0.01)
Substitution analyses
- 0.5 servings/day of nuts swapped in for Red meat | Processed meat | French fries | Desserts | Potato chips
- Associated with less weight gain (p<0.05)

Consuming nuts is associated with less weight gain and a lower risk of obesity
Cohorts mostly Caucasian healthcare professionals and therefore results may not be generalizable to other populations

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