In recent months there have been a number of very interesting nut based studies. One of the most interesting is a study by King’s College London that looked at tree nut snack consumption in the UK adult population and its effects on Cardio Vascular disease and diet quality. Kentish cobnuts are tree nuts and are a specially cultivated and heritage variety of hazelnut.
A significant recommendation from the study was that general dietary guidelines should encourage swaps from less healthy snacks to tree nut based snacks. The study found that consumers of tree nuts had higher modified Mediterranean Diet Score and Healthy Diet Score relative to nonconsumers. Tree nut consumers also had lower BMI and Waist Circumference.
Consumption was also associated with higher intake of total fat, mono-, n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fibre, vitamin A, thiamin, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and iron; and lower intake of saturated fatty acids, transfatty acids, total carbohydrate, starch, free sugar, sodium and chloride. Critically consumption was associated with lower Cardio Vascular Disease risk factors. See more on this study here.
A further study, published in March by the University of Wollongong, found that higher nut consumption was associated with higher beneficial intakes of fibre, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. There were also no negative associations between nut consumption and body weight, BMI, waist circumference, or blood pressure.
