HEALTH RESEARCH UPDATE
PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EVENTS
In September, the California Walnut Commission was a sponsor at, the conference for Nutritional Advances in the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease in Barcelona, Spain. Lenore Arab, PhD from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, presented “Nut consumption correlates with women’s cognition and mood” which shared outcomes from her CWC-supported research resulting in the publication, “Lower depression scores among walnut consumers in NHANES”. Dr. Arab shared with over 125 international attendees that depression scores were significantly lower among nut consumers and particularly walnut consumers (who ate just under one ounce per day) as compared to non-nut consumers in this cross-sectional study of American adults (average age 46). The difference was strongest among women, who were more likely than men to report higher depression scores. Dr. Arab and her team looked at self-reported dietary data and noted that depression could have impacted typical eating behaviors, and other lifestyle habits that are more common in walnut consumers could have influenced the results. Significant, positive associations between walnut consumption and cognitive functions among all adults, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity suggested that “daily walnut intake may be a simple beneficial dietary behavior.” Emilio Ros, MD, PhD was the chair and facilitator of the session. A press conference was held immediately after the session with key health and science journalists from Barcelona. Findings from this study show an association between walnut consumption and depression symptoms, but do not prove cause and effect. The evidence adds to the current understanding of the potential beneficial impact of including walnuts in the diet.
PUBLICATIONS “Changes in nut consumption influence long-term weight change in US men and women”, published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health in September. The research was conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and supported by the California Walnut Commission (CWC). The CWC has made body weight and composition research a priority area of research due to the current 4
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obesity epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2016, the number of obese people nearly tripled since 1975. There are about 1.9 billion people that are overweight and 650 million obese, which results in about 2.8 million deaths every year as a result of being overweight or Dr. Lenore Arab and Dr. Emilio Ros obese. This paper at the Nutrients Conference revealed that in Barcelona. increased daily nut consumption may be associated with less long-term weight gain and a reduced risk of becoming obese, compared to not eating nuts. An increase in consumption of walnuts and other tree nuts by half a serving per day was associated with a 15 percent and 11 percent lower risk of developing obesity. Researchers investigated the connection between nut consumption and weight change by analyzing more than 20 years of data on American adults (ages 24-75). The results don’t prove causality, but they do provide further support for including walnuts as part of a healthy diet that won’t contribute to weight gain.
