1. A word from Elly Kaldenberg - dietician

Would I like to write something about nuts and health? With pleasure! I am actually the nut lover among nut lovers. However, just like most people, a small handful of nuts is no good to me. I am not happy until the bottom of the dish is in sight. Of course this puts me at once on the horns of a dietary dilemma. Health and calories. Nuts are super healthy. Take almonds, for example. Just as much protein as in one egg, more magnesium than in a portion of spinach, unsaturated fats comparable with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a portion of flavonoids equal to a mug of tea. And all that in 28 grams of almonds. That’s wonderful, but 28 grams of almonds … that is 23 nuts, all told. No, I didn’t think that up myself, a lady at the California Almond Board found that out for me. She gave me a handy little tin in which you can fit precisely 23 almonds. So, every day one full tin and I take in a good-sized serving of health – and not too many calories. Because let’s be fair, the calories are naturally the focus of attention when you’re talking about nuts, at least when you display the nut-eating behaviour that I do. So my first reaction to the little tin was “handy!”. Nevertheless, in the long run I was a bit depressed by it, that little tin. After all, 23 almonds are put away in no time at all, and then the little tin is empty. Now I can accept an empty bag, but an empty tin, that’s different. The fact is, I myself have an influence on the contents of the tin. Perhaps if I had crammed them in better I might have got 24 in. Or even 25. To cut a long story short, I gave that little tin to somebody who has a better sense of moderation than I have. I am now sticking with my dish, a little more than 23 almonds, but not every day. That’s fantastically healthy!

2. The role of a healthy diet on Alzheimer Disease

Recent research has linked a healthy diet and lifestyle to possible brain benefits. Nuts can play a role in this healthy diet. A review of Passinetti & Eberstein found that current research supports a role of a healthy diet, weight control and calorie restriction in preventing Alzheimer Disease. Peanuts and nuts consumption should be a part of this diet according to Pasinetti.

Although evidence on Alzheimer Disease and preventing this disease is pending, some recommendations can be made on the basis of current knowledge – according to the research team. Alzheimer Disease prevention strategies should include promoting a diet rich in unrefined foods and natural fats, including whole grains, fish, nuts and seeds. Calorie restriction by reducing saturated fats and intake of carbohydrates in the diet were also found promising in the area of preventing Alzheimer Disease.

Alzheimer Disease is a degenerative and fatal disease with a high impact on the patient’s quality of life and on total health care costs. It is estimated that it affects almost 26.6 million people worldwide. A number that will significantly increase in the near future and is even estimated to quadruple by 2050. At this moment no cure is known yet and preventing or delaying Alzheimer Disease will become important to control the world-wide burden of this disease.

Sources:
1) Pasinetti GM & Eberstein JA. Metabolic syndrome and the role of dietary lifestyles in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Neurochemistry 2008; 106 (4): 1503-1514.
2) Brookmeyer R et al. Forecasting the global burden of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's and Dementia 2007; 3(3): 186–191.

3. Pregnant women can eat nuts

Research over the years has demonstrated that there is no relation between the development of childhood asthma and allergies and the consumption of peanuts and nuts during pregnancy. However, a recent cohort study of the University of Utrecht did find a positive relation between the development of childhood asthma and the consumption of nut products.

In this study 4146 pregnant women were asked how frequent they consumed fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs, milk, milk products, nuts and nut products during the last month of their pregnancy. Their children were followed until 8 years of age to monitor the development of childhood allergies and asthma.

The questionnaire only included information on the intake and frequency of commonly consumed food groups. Therefore the researchers assume that the nut product consumption was mainly peanut butter, since this is the most commonly used spread in the Netherlands.

No associations were found between maternal vegetable, fish, egg, milk or milk products and nut consumption and the longitudinal development of childhood asthma or allergies. In contrast to what was expected, also no association was found between daily consumption of nuts and nut products during pregnancy and the development of peanut allergies. This is however consistent with the research from the David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research centre.

The researchers which studied the influence of maternal food consumption on childhood allergies and asthma can not fully explain why nuts do not increase the risk on a childhood wheeze while peanut butter does. A possible explanation might be the increased intake of linoleic acid. Increased intake of linoleic acid may lead to higher levels of cellular arachidonic acid which increases the capacity to produce prostaglandin E2. PGE2 can alter the balance of Th1- and Th2-cytokines, leading to increased formation of lgE and hence to an allergic reaction.

Some researchers suggest that the complicated statistics may have biased the results. Another limitation may be that there was only information on the frequency of intake of common food groups. The questionnaire did not contain questions on intake of more specific foods or portion sizes. There may be effects of fruit specific or nut specific nutrients that cannot be found when only analyzing the effect of the consumption of a total food group. Willers et al. note therefore that is too early to make any recommendations for the general public health on the basis of this study.

Sources:
1) Willers SM, Wijga AH, Brunekreef B et al. Maternal food consumption during pregnancy and the longitudinal development of childhood asthma. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2008;178 : 124-131.
2) In-depth look: peanut butter consumed during pregnancy may increase asthma risk for child. Allergy notes (allergynotes.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-depth-look-peanut-butter-consumed.html).