title: A single consumption of high amounts of the Brazil nuts improves lipid profile of healthy volunteers.
abstract: Background. This study investigates the effects of Brazil nut ingestion on serum lipid profile in healthy volunteers. Methods. Ten healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Each subject was tested 4 times in a randomized crossover in relation to the ingestion of different serving sizes of the Brazil nut: 0, 5, 20, or 50 g. At each treatment point, peripheral blood was drawn before and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 24, and 48 hours and 5 and 30 days. Blood samples were tested for total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c and LDL-c, resp.), triglycerides, selenium, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, albumin, total protein, alkaline phosphatase, gamma GT, urea, creatinine, and C-reactive protein. Results. A significant increase of the plasma selenium levels was observed at 6 hours within the groups receiving the nuts. Serum LDL-c was significantly lower, whereas HDL-c was significantly higher 9 hours after the ingestion of 20 or 50 g of nuts. The biochemical parameters of liver and kidney function were not modified by ingestion of nuts. Conclusions. This study shows that the ingestion of a single serving of Brazil nut can acutely improve the serum lipid profile of healthy volunteers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Centers, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil ; Department of Nutrition, Center Franciscan University (UNIFRA), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elisângela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colpo
authors.forename: Carlos Dalton de Avila
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Vilanova
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Brenner Reetz
authors.forename: Marta Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Medeiros Frescura Duarte
authors.forename: Iria Luiza Gomes
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Irineu Muller
authors.forename: Aline Lima Hermes
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Erico Marlon
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Moraes Flores
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: João Batista Teixeira
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: da Rocha