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Abstract Details
Perspective: Is it Time to Expand Research on 'Nuts' to Include 'Seeds'? Justifications and Key Considerations
Adv Nutr. 2022 Mar 25;nmac028. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac028. Online ahead of print.
1Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong Victoria 3220, Australia.
2Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
3School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
The health benefits of nuts reported throughout the literature are extensive and well established for reducing the risk of, and managing several chronic conditions including, but not limited to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cognition. Despite their comparable nutritional profile, seeds are often not assessed in clinical and epidemiological studies. Interestingly dietary guidelines and recommendations often refer to 'nuts and seeds' collectively, even though they are not consistently examined together in nutrition research when determining associated health benefits. The purpose of this review is to call for future nutrition research to consider combining nuts and seeds. This review provides the justification for this proposal by summarising current definitions for nuts and seeds and highlighting the similarities or dissimilarities in their nutrient compositions. Following this, we summarise current evidence on the health benefits of nuts and seeds, research gaps that should be addressed, and considerations for future research using both epidemiological and interventional study designs.