A Collection of Research Sheds Light on the Importance of Nut Consumption in Teen and Early Adulthood
New Delhi, September 2024 – Food plays a big role in everyone’s identity, and those born between 1997-2012, commonly known as Gen Z,have been deemed the “foodie generation.” Gen Z is driven to a particular food by varied factors, but data suggests foods that support health and well-being by providing energy, managing weight, and fostering mental health are priorities.1,2 Yetwhen it comes to choosing foods that support these needs, Gen Z, along with millennials and beyond,often overlook a convenient and importantfoodgroup – tree nuts, includingwalnuts.
Nuts, including walnuts,are nutrient dense and considered a key component ofmany recommended dietary patterns,including the Mediterranean and vegetariandiets. They are also recommended for daily consumption in India’s new dietary guidelines by National Institute of Nutrition, which highlight that nuts, such as walnuts, as an essential part of a healthy meal.New researchfurthersuggestspeople, especially Gen Z and millennials, shouldreconsider nuts, like walnuts.
New Research Evaluates the Impact of Nuts on Weight Management for Gen Z and Millennials
In a recent observationalstudyfrom Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomingtonand funded by the California Walnut Commission, researchers observedthat adolescents and young adultswho consumed walnuts and other nuts had a lower prevalencefor obesity when compared withthosewho consumed no nuts.4
Researchersanalyzeddata from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)which included more than 19,000 adolescents (12 – 19 years old) and young adults (20– 39 years old) to understandthe associations between consumption of walnuts and other nuts with measures of obesity including relative fat mass (RFM),a validated tool for estimating body fat percent and regional fat composition.
In particular, young women consuming only walnuts had a significantly lower prevalenceof obesity when compared to non-nut consumers. However, this association was not found among young men, adolescent boys, or adolescent girls who consumed walnuts only. Researchers also observed that adolescent girls and young women who consumed walnuts only, orother nuts, had a significantly lower RFM compared to non-nuts consumers. Only young males in the walnut and other nut groups showed an inverse association with RFM compared to no nuts group, this was not found in adolescent boys.4
These results are promising suggesting that there may be an association between the consumption of nuts, especially walnutswith a lower prevalence of obesity and lower RFM within certain populations.However, cause and effect could not be determined, and additional research is needed to support these results. Additionally, the average nut consumption in this population group was lowwith 76% of adolescents and 69% of young adults reporting no daily nut consumption. Furthermore, when walnuts were consumed, adolescents onlyate ~ 2g/day while young adults had ~ 4g/day, which is far below the recommended intake for nuts of56 – 85g per week or 30gper day, respectively.3
“While additional research is needed, these results showed that food should not be judged based on calories alone. The addition of nuts, like walnuts, as a part of a healthy eating pattern may help lower the risk of obesity,” explains Dr. Carla Miller, PhD, RD, Professor of Nutrition at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. “Whether it is a handful as a snack or part of a meal, even in small amounts, nuts, including walnuts, can and should be a part ofa nutritious diet to support well-being.”
Beyond Weight Management: Walnuts May Support OverallPhysical and Mental Well-Being in Gen Z & Millennials
Teens and young adults crave food that supports both their physical health and mental health, with over 30% seeking emotional and mental health benefits.1Research suggests that daily walnut consumption could potentially support cognitive health and mental well-being in this unique population.
- Daily Walnut Consumption MaySupportTeens’Focus and Attention–In a multi-school randomized controlled trial of771 healthy teenagersages 11 to 16,participants who consumed 30 grams of walnuts per day (1 handful) for six months had improved neuropsychological scores for attention, fluid intelligence (i.e. problem solving, quick reasoning skills) and ADHD symptoms, when compared to the group not eating walnuts.6,*The positive results in this study were only seen in those teenagers who could better comply with eating more than3 servings of walnuts per week. Only less than half of participants in the intervention group adhered to eating walnuts daily for 6 months, which might have impacted the data accuracy.No significant results were found for the primary outcomes of this study regarding neuropsychological function, indicating that the intervention did not work overall. However, this study doesprovide valuable insights and a basis for further clinical and epidemiological research on the effect of walnuts on brain development in adolescents.
- Walnuts May Improve Mental Health and General Well-Being in University Students — A novel study of 80 healthy university students ages 18 to 35, who ate 60gof walnuts a day for 16 weeks, compared to those who did not eat walnuts,prevented negative changes in self-reported mental healthscores and scores of stress and depression during a stressful academic period. The group that ate walnuts experienced an increase in metabolic markers that protect against stress and a decrease in those that are linked with stress.While inconclusive, researchers found that the group who consumed walnuts also saw an improvement in sleep scores related to getting to sleep, sleep quality, awakening from sleep, and behavior following wakefulness by the end of the study period.7,*
- Snacking on Walnuts May Improve Metabolic Health in Young Adults— In a recent studyof 84 young adults, ages 22 to 36, with at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor, researchers found that snacking on30gof mixed unsalted tree nuts, including walnuts, twice daily, may improvemetabolic health, when compared to carbohydrate-rich snacks.Researchers observeda reduction in waist circumference and lipid biomarkers in female participants who consumed tree nut snacks, when compared to those who consumed carbohydrate-rich snacks. Males who consumed tree nut snacks had decreased blood insulin levels, compared to those who consumed carbohydrate-rich snacks. Both males and females consuming tree nut snacks saw an effect on triglycerides and TG/HDL ratios with TG/HDL ratios reduced ~11% compared to those consuming carbohydrate-rich snacks.8,*
These studies are not without limitations. While the findings cannot prove causality, they do shed light on how nuts, including walnuts, can be a part of a healthy diet that supports metabolic health and well-being. Additional research is needed to determine how these results apply to other populations.
