Potential Prebiotic Properties of Nuts and Edible Seeds and Their Relationship to Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a global epidemic chronic condition and is progressing at a rapid rate. This review focuses on the potential prebiotic properties of nuts and edible seeds and the plausible mechanisms that their consumption may help the prevention and the management of overweight and obesity. The literature review was performed by searching papers about the topic in MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases. The healthy attributes of nuts and edible seeds, especially dietary fibers and polyphenols contents, indicate that their mechanism of weight gain prevention may occur through interaction with the gut microbiota, by means of prebiotic effects. Among the etiological factors associated with obesity, the gut microbiota seems to play a significant role. Dysbiosis causes an imbalance in energy homeostasis that contributes to obesity. Three mechanisms are proposed in this review to explain the potential role of nut and edible seed consumption on intestinal homeostasis and body weight control: maintenance of the enteric barrier integrity, improvement of anti-inflammatory status and enhancement of butyrate synthesis. Further high-quality clinical trials should explore the interaction between oilseed consumption, microbiota, and body adiposity control, particularly investigating the microbiota metabolites and their relation to the prevention and management of obesity.

Almond Snacking for 8 wk Increases Alpha-Diversity of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome and Decreases Bacteroides fragilis Abundance Compared with an Isocaloric Snack in College Freshmen

“…Nuts such as almonds are rich sources of fiber, unsaturated fats, and polyphenols (6), all nutrients that can favorably alter the gut microbiome (7–9). Differences in relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa have been observed with varying doses of almonds and pistachios (42 g or 84 g) (10), different almond processed forms (42 g) (11), and walnut (42 g) (12) consumption over short periods (<3 wk).…”

An Almond-Based Low Carbohydrate Diet Improves Depression and Glycometabolism in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes through Modulating Gut Microbiota and GLP-1: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…A major difference was that we used almond to replace carbohydrate. Almond as a commonly eaten nut, is a rich source of dietary fiber, polyphenols, and unsaturated fatty acids [ 44 ], that may be protective against the development of depression [ 45 , 46 , 47 ]. With regard to the association of nuts intake and mental health, most of studies showed the positive effect of nuts.…”

Advances in cultivar choice, hazelnut orchard management, and nut storage to enhance product quality and safety: an overview

“…Furthermore, the potential for intrinsic kernel quality has gained attention with the aim of promoting nut consumption 12 , 13 . The nutritional properties of hazelnut and its health benefits, related to the richness of high‐value fatty acids and natural antioxidants, have been emphasized 14–16 . Among the main chemical components in the kernel, lipids are regarded as the constituent that makes a major contribution to the quality and storability of nuts and derived products 17 – 20 .…”