“The recent activity on unrelated comments abouts nuts has forced my hand to discuss the epidemiological study below that shows that nuts (tree nut and peanut) consumption is associated with a lower mortality rate from neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases in people living in the Netherlands. The problem with this study is it cause or effect? Is nut consumption itself having an impact on survival or does it simply indicate that people who eat nuts are different to non-nut eaters? The former is causation the latter association. I can think of at least ten reasons why nut eaters may be different to non-nut eaters and some of these factors may reduce mortality. Although the researchers used statistics to control for potential confounders, or factors, that could explain the association there could be unidentified confounders that haven’t been taken into account in the analysis. Embedded in this study was a meta-analysis of other studies published on nut consumption that shows similar results. The results therefore indicate that nut consumption itself may reduce mortality. The only way to prove this is to do an interventional study and randomise people to a high-nut diet vs a low-nut diet and to follow them up for years, or decades, to assess the impact on survival. The latter interventional study will never happen as it is simply not feasible to do.”
“Based on this study’s results should you alter your diet and eat more than 10g of nuts per day? Nutritionists will tell you that nuts are a very good source of calories and proteins, and are classified as one of the so called superfoods. A superfood is a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Nuts are part of the Mediterranean diet, which I subscribe to, and the paleo or paleolithic diet (hunter-gatherer diet). The paleo diet is gaining a lot of traction in the metabolic field and has an emerging science base to support it. Therefore, on balance there is little to be lost by eating nuts. However, if you do start eating nuts please make sure it is not to excess and you do so within your daily calorie allowance. Nuts are highly calorific. From a personal perspective, I probably eat nuts 5 days of the week and more than 10g at a time. I do this simply because I love nuts, in particular Macadamias. It is also important to eat sustainable nuts; for example some parts of the Brazil nut industry are not sustainable at present. I would also suggest eating a variety of nuts and if you do eat salted nuts make sure you don’t take in too much salt.”
van den Brandt PA & schouten LJ. Relationship of tree nut, peanut and peanut butter intake with total and cause-specific mortality: a cohort study and meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2015.
Background: Nut intake has been associated with lower mortality, but few studies have investigated causes of death other than cardiovascular disease, and dose-response relationships remain unclear.
Methods: We investigated the relationship of nut (tree nut, peanut) and peanut butter intake with overall and cause-specific mortality. In the Netherlands Cohort Study, 120 852 men and women aged 55–69 years provided information on dietary and lifestyle habits in 1986. Mortality follow-up until 1996 consisted of linkage to Statistics Netherlands. Multivariate case-cohort analyses were based on 8823 deaths and 3202 subcohort members with complete data on nuts and potential confounders. We also conducted meta-analyses of our results with those published from other cohort studies.
Results: Total nut intake was related to lower overall and cause-specific mortality (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurodegenerative diseases, other causes) in men and women. When comparing those consuming 0.1−<5, 5−<10 and 10+ g nuts/day with non-consumers, multivariable hazard ratios for total mortality were 0.88, 0.74 and 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66–0.89], respectively (Ptrend = 0.003). Cause-specific hazard ratios comparing 10+ vs 0 g/day varied from 0.56 for neurodegenerative to 0.83 for cardiovascular disease mortality. Restricted cubic splines showed nonlinear dose-response relationships with mortality. Peanuts and tree nuts were inversely related to mortality, whereas peanut butter was not. In meta-analyses, summary hazard ratios for highest vs lowest nut consumption were 0.85 for cancer, and 0.71 for respiratory mortality.
Conclusions: Nut intake was related to lower overall and cause-specific mortality, with evidence for nonlinear dose-response relationships. Peanut butter was not related to mortality.
CoI: none, I don’t do any work for the nut industry.
Nuts form a big part of my diet. I'm a vegetarian with cealics (along with MS), so I don't eat much processed food (maybe once in a few months) and I'm very careful about what I eat. It means I'm pretty healthy, apart from the MS. I love macadamia nuts too, but walnuts are my favourite (well, they were until the spate of shrivelled walnut images representing the brain on this blog;)).
Re "If you are interested we may get Nuria to a series of posts on diet". Yes great idea.
Where does this relate to Ms? There's so many sticking plasters and might helps it's ridiculous
Disagree with anon at 10am. Diet is a very important aspect of managing MS. We absorb much nutrients, vitamins and minerals from our diet. It seems some reasearch highlights MSers may have problems absorbing vitamins in our guts. We are what we eat. Poor diet can contrbute to constipation. Constipation is fairly common in MS. Constipation is fairly common in the US general population at around 20% of people.
Do you mean nuts specifically or having a healthy diet? Personally, I think both help and the latter is more than as a sticking plaster! So not ridiculous in my opinion.
What I find interesting is the link between constipation and lower back pain (not MS specific). Even minor cases of consipation can lead to back pain. When I was very unwell last year with my MS and needed the toilet with severe consitpation my whole body would sieze up. My legs, ribs and my back would become stiff and painful. Once I have finally been to the toilet the severe stiffness and pain would ease off. It was exhausting. Nuts are a part of my diet now, around 25g of nuts four times a week.
I'm glad to see that you're actually looking at diet now. Since my diagnosis in 2012 and change in diet, I am doing so much better than I was even 10 years ago. I am regularly surprised and disappointed with what I witness among MSers. Most of them say that their neurologist says nothing about diet or scoff at the suggestion that a change in diet might be a good thing or even helpful in managing their disease.The very best thing I have done to resolve the constipation that has plagued me most of my life, is to consume probiotics in my food. I make my own now — kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles . . . and I eat a lot of leafy greens every day.The double-blind research may not be out there yet but thousands of anecdotes is good enough for me! Welcome aboard!!
Ready made probiotic drinks contain fat and sugar which can have negative effects. Oats (porridge) are a simpler and cheaper alternative. Also fresh green vegetables will make good gut bacteria flourish.
I'd certainly welcome posts from a nutritionist. I'd also welcome posts from any complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) specialists, if any are available and willing. I know nutraceuticals are frowned upon by our hosts but those suffering with MS, and particularly, progressive MS, really need something….