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Nuts and blood pressure: New metaanalysis
New EUFIC article on gestational diabetes
Dr Emma Derbyshire PhD RNutr (Public Health) Nutritional Insight Ltd
Gestational diabetes is fast becoming a rising health concern in pregnancy. Now, a new article published for the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) looks into the wider implications of this. Most importantly, gestational diabetes (i.e. when a woman’s blood sugar levels in pregnancy become higher than normal) can affect the health of the mother and her baby. Over-growth of the foetus, leading to the delivery of larger babies (macrosomia) and subsequent delivery complications, are the main concerns, along with increased risk of pre-eclampsia. Being a healthy body weight before becoming pregnant, being physically active, eating a diet that includes plenty of wholegrains, lean proteins, oily fish and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, are key messages that should be communicated to women of childbearing age. Intakes of foods and drinks with a high glycaemic index should be kept to a minimum. For more information see: Derbyshire EJ (2015) Food Today. Available at: www. eufic.org/article/en/artid/The_rising_ concern_of_gestational_diabetes/
Past work has looked at how certain nuts affect blood pressure, but findings have been mixed. Taking this on board, a new meta-analysis has pooled data from 21 randomised controlled trials. Findings showed that pistachios significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (P=0.002), while both pistachios and mixed nuts led to significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure (P=0.04). These findings were most apparent in subjects without Type 2 diabetes. Overall, eating pistachios may help to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in healthy adults without Type 2 diabetes. Eating mixed nuts may also help to lower diastolic blood pressure. For more information see: Mohammadifard N et al (2015) American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol 101 no 5, pg 966-982.
So, what did Adam and Eve eat?
Dr Emma Derbyshire is a freelance nutritionist and former senior academic. Her interests include pregnancy and public health. www.nutritionalinsight.co.uk hello@nutritionalinsight.co.uk
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Eating habits which are not in line with our evolutionary progress are thought to be fuelling an epidemic of obesity and diet-related diseases, such as cancer and cardiac problems. Now a new review has looked into this in more detail. The article exploring how nutrition influenced the development of Homo sapiens concluded that genetically, we are still stone-age hunter-gatherers who thrive on lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, but, environmentally, we are surrounded by foods laden with sugar, simple carbohydrates and the wrong type of fats. Overall, the evidence base identified that we were likely to have evolved as
NHDmag.com July 2015 - Issue 106
omnivores with animal products playing a key role in brain development and acquisition of skills. In addition, the same evidence noted that trialists who ate a diet of lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, while avoiding cereal grains, dairy and legumes had lower blood pressure and lower blood levels of glucose, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides after just 10 days. And other evidence revealed significant reductions in body weight, waist measurement and blood pressure. Hence, later shifts towards a cerealbased diet are likely to have happened too suddenly for our genome to adapt appropriately. This, in turn, is likely to have increased non-communicable disease risk.
