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Inverse association between the frequency of nut consumption and obesity among Iranian population: Isfahan Healthy Heart Program

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Abstract

Purpose

Recently, controversies have arisen concerning the association between nut intake and obesity. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between nut consumption and obesity among Iranian adults.

Methods

In a cross-sectional survey, 9,660 randomly chosen adults aged ≥19 years were selected based on gender, age and their settlement distributions in three districts of central Iran in 2007. Nutritional behaviors including regular intake of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and sunflower seed were assessed by validated 48-item-food-frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall questionnaire. Using hierarchical logistic regression test, odds ratio (OR) 95 % CI of obesity based on nut consumption was determined in an unadjusted and four adjusted models.

Results

The results showed a significant association between high nut consumption and lower prevalence of overweight or general obesity as well as abdominal obesity in women (p = 0.01 and p = 0.047, respectively), but not men. The frequency of nut consumption was associated with lower risk of overweight or general obesity [OR (95 % CI) 0.57 (0.38–0.86)] and abdominal obesity [OR (95 % CI) 0.51 (0.28−0.95)] only in women. After adjusting for gender, age and other potential confounders, the strength of the associations was blunted, but they were still significant.

Conclusions

Frequent nuts and seeds consumption, particularly ≥1 time/day, had an inverse association with all classes of obesity among women.

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Acknowledgments

This program was conducted by the Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center (ICRC) (a WHO Collaborating Center) with the collaboration of Isfahan Provincial Health Office, both affiliated with the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The program was supported by a Grant (No. 31309304) from the Iranian Budget and Planning Organization, as well as the Deputy for Health of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Iranian Heart Foundation. We are thankful to the large team at ICRC and Isfahan Provincial Health Office as well as collaborators from Najafabad Health Office and Arak University of Medical Sciences.

Conflict of interest

We declare there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Noushin Mohammadifard & Nizal Sarrafzadegan

  2. Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 2, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany

    Narges Yazdekhasti & Gabriele I. Stangl

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  1. Noushin Mohammadifard
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  2. Narges Yazdekhasti
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  3. Gabriele I. Stangl
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  4. Nizal Sarrafzadegan
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Correspondence to Narges Yazdekhasti.

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Mohammadifard, N., Yazdekhasti, N., Stangl, G.I. et al. Inverse association between the frequency of nut consumption and obesity among Iranian population: Isfahan Healthy Heart Program. Eur J Nutr 54, 925–931 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0769-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0769-x

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