Higher nut intake was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein and Interleukin 6.
Higher nut intake was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein and Interleukin 6.
A new study has found a link between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers.
In a cross-sectional analysis, researchers looked at the association between habitual nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers among 5,013 men and women participating in two ongoing prospective cohort studies: the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Higher nut intake (5 or more times per week) was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin 6 (IL6). Both of these compounds increase in the body when there is inflammation, which can lead to chronic disease.
According to senior author Ying Bao, -"Substituting three servings per week of tree nuts for three servings per week of red meat, processed meat, or eggs was associated with significantly lower CRP and IL6; lower CRP concentrations were also observed when substituting three servings per week of tree nuts for refined grains.-"
Elevated CRP levels have been shown to predict the development of both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and IL6 has been associated with cardio-metabolic risk. Interestingly, research has also shown that nut consumption may be inversely related to body mass index (BMI), which is a strong determinant of inflammatory biomarkers.
In fact, weight loss has been repeatedly shown to be associated with a decrease in levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Therefore, the researchers suggest, the associations between nut intake and inflammatory markers may be mediated in part through BMI.
-"This is yet another piece of evidence showing that people should include more nuts in their diet,-" stated Maureen Ternus, Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation (INC NREF).-"Just a handful of tree nuts every day can result in numerous health benefits.-" The study is published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
