title: Pairing nuts and dried fruit for cardiometabolic health.
abstract: Certain dietary patterns, in which fruits and nuts are featured prominently, reduce risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, estimated fruit consumption historically in the U.S. has been lower than recommendations. Dried fruit intake is even lower with only about 6.9 % of the adult population reporting any consumption. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee identified a gap between recommended fruit and vegetable intakes and the amount the population consumes. Even fewer Americans consume tree nuts, which are a nutrient-dense food, rich in bioactive compounds and healthy fatty acids. Consumption of fruits and nuts has been associated with reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease. An estimated 5.5 to 8.4 % of U.S. adults consume tree nuts and/or tree nut butter. This review examines the potential of pairing nuts and dried fruit to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors and focuses on emerging data on raisins and pistachios as representative of each food category. Evidence suggests that increasing consumption of both could help improve Americans' nutritional status and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Sun-Maid Growers of California, 13525 S. Bethel Ave., Kingsburg, CA, 93631, USA. ariannacarughi@mac.com.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carughi
authors.affiliation: Consultant to the Food and Agriculture Industries, 11030 Mora Dr, Los Altos, CA, 94024, USA. mj@feeney.us.com.
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Feeney
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 319 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. pmk3@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kris-Etherton
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Impact, LLC, 9725 D Drive North, Battle Creek, MI, 49014, USA. vic3rd@aol.com.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fulgoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 32 Ridley Gardens, Toronto, ON, M6R 2T8, Canada. Cyril.kendall@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Cyril W C
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Sant Llorenç, 21, 43201, Reus, Spain. Monica.bullo@urv.cat.
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulló
authors.affiliation: Health and Nutrition Communications, 8014 Greenslope Drive, Austin, TX, 78759, USA. densiel.webb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Densie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018673:Nutrition Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009754:Nuts; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables