Cross-sectional association of nut intake with adiposity in a Mediterranean population☆
Received 31 August 2009; received in revised form 13 November 2009; accepted 20 November 2009. published online 11 March 2010. Corrected Proof
Abstract
Background and aims
Nut intake has been inversely related to body mass index (BMI) in prospective studies. We examined dietary determinants of adiposity in an elderly Mediterranean population with customarily high nut consumption.
Methods and results
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 847 subjects (56% women, mean age 67 years, BMI 29.7kg/m2) at high cardiovascular risk recruited into the PREDIMED study. Food consumption was evaluated by a validated semi-quantitative questionnaire, energy expenditure in physical activity by the Minnesota Leisure Time Activity questionnaire, and anthropometric variables by standard measurements. Nut intake decreased across quintiles of both BMI and waist circumference (P-trend <0.005; both). Alcohol ingestion was inversely related to BMI (P-trend=0.020) and directly to waist (P-trend=0.011), while meat intake was directly associated with waist circumference (P-trend=0.018). In fully adjusted multivariable models, independent dietary associations of BMI were the intake of nuts inversely (P=0.002) and that of meat and meat products directly (P=0.042). For waist circumference, independent dietary associations were intake of nuts (P=0.002) and vegetables (P=0.040), both inversely, and intake of meat and meat products directly (P=0.009). From the regression coefficients, it was predicted that BMI and waist circumference decreased by 0.78kg/m2 and 2.1cm, respectively, for each serving of 30g of nuts. Results were similar in men and women.
Conclusion
Nut consumption was inversely associated with adiposity independently of other lifestyle variables. It remains to be explored whether residual confounding related to a healthier lifestyle of nut eaters might in part explain these results.
aHuman Nutrition Unit, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, IISPV, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain
bCIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain
cLipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
dDirecció d'Atenció Primària Tarragona-Reus, Institut Català de la Salut, Reus, Spain
Corresponding author. Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain. Tel.: +34 977 759312; fax: +34 977 759322.
☆ Support for research: This study was funded, in part, by the Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias) projects PI051839, G03/140 and RD06/0045.
ABSTRACT
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