Nut consumption and weight gain in a Mediterranean cohort: The SUN study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the association, in a Mediterranean population, between nut consumption and risk of weight gain (at least 5 kg) or the risk of becoming overweight/obese.


METHODS
The Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra project is a prospective cohort of 8865 adult men and women who completed a follow-up questionnaire after a median of 28 months. Dietary habits were assessed with a previously validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire.


RESULTS
Nine hundred thirty-seven participants reported a weight gain of > or =5 kg at follow-up. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, leisure time physical activity, and other known risk factors for obesity, participants who ate nuts two or more times per week had a significantly lower risk of weight gain (odds ratio: 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.53 to 0.90, p for trend = 0.006) than those who never or almost never ate nuts. Participants with little nut consumption (never/almost never) gained an average of 424 grams (95% confidence interval: 102 to 746) more than frequent nut eaters. Nut consumption was not significantly associated with incident overweight/obesity in the cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain.
Bes-Rastrollo
Maira
M
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea, 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. mbes@unav.es
Sabaté
Joan
J
Gómez-Gracia
Enrique
E
Alonso
Alvaro
A
Martínez
J Alfredo
JA
Martínez-González
Miguel Angel
MA
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009754:Nuts; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*