The research, which is yet to be published, indicates that teenagers who consumed around 12.9 grams per day of nuts (essentially a small handful) had 50 percent less of a chance of developing metabolic syndrome, which is linked to early heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This was when the profile of those who eat a low quantity of nuts compared with those who did not eat nuts at all. Around 1 in 9 teenagers in the U.S. falls within risk spectrum of metabolic syndrome.
The data was drawn from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Here, some 2,233 U.S. teenagers (aged between 12 to 19 years) were reviewed, with the data collected over the period 2003 and 2010.
The other factor was that eating nuts is not common among teenagers, with 75 percent falling into the non-nut eating category. Of those who eat nut, only 9 percent fell into the 12.9 grams per day group. Furthermore, there were ethnic differences in terms of the quantity of nuts consumed.
In relation to the health benefits, the data suggested that the risks associated with metabolic syndrome fell with each additional gram of nuts eaten per day up until 50 grams per day. At this point the effect plateaued out. There could be cut-off point here between high calories and health.
The fact that many nuts contain unsaturated fats, fiber and other nutrients was considered to the primary link to heart health. For example, one group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, the omega-3 fatty acids, appears to prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms.
The research was recently presented at the Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego. The Endocrine Society is an organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology.
