- Since walnuts have heart health advantages, scientists from Texas Tech University and Juniata College carried out a research study to examine what effect they have on the gut microbiome.
- The scientists wondered whether it is possible that the heart advantages originated from walnuts start in the gut.
- The scientists appointed diet plans to 3 groups of individuals, consisting of one group that consumed entire walnuts, and after that evaluated biological samples from each individual.
- Their findings revealed that individuals who took in the diet plan with walnuts had greater levels of the amino acid L-homoarginine in their guts.
- Since individuals with lower levels of homoarginine are at a greater threat for heart disease, this finding revealed that it may be possible to enhance heart health by making dietary modifications that impact the gut.
While researchers understand that specific foods enhance heart health, there are numerous concerns staying, such as how this takes place, and what other foods exist that might decrease cardiovascular threat.
Researchers from Texas Tech University in Lubbock and Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA, wished to learn more about how walnuts might benefit the heart, and whether that begins in the gut.
They performed their research study by evaluating the hereditary expression of microorganisms in individuals who either did or did not take in a diet plan with walnuts.
The research study outcomes existed at Discover DMB, which is the yearly conference of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
According to the
Many aspects affect heart health, and an essential one is nutrition. People who follow diet plans that are high in fat and cholesterol are most likely to establish conditions that can ultimately result in cardiovascular disease.
To help in reducing the threat of cardiovascular disease, individuals can pick diet plans that are low in fat, function lean meats, and are low in sugar and salt. Avoiding processed foods or foods high in trans fats can help also.
Some heart-healthy foods the
- veggies
- fruits
- entire grains
- fish and lean meats
- nuts.
Recent research study reveals that walnuts, in specific, can enhance an individual’s heart disease threat profile.
A healthy gut microbiome is essential to health. The gut microbiota is a group of microbes that colonize the intestinal system. Some price quotes recommend that there are
Sometimes health problem or way of life options can trigger modifications to the gut microbiome and make bad germs surpass good germs.
The
There are methods to enhance gut health, such as taking probiotic supplements to rebalance the gut microbiome. Foods individuals can consume to aid with this consist of yogurt, marinaded veggies, and kombucha tea.
The scientists who carried out the existing research study had an interest in how walnuts effect gut health and enhance heart health.
Walnuts have a greater alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) material, which is considerable due to the fact that ALA might
The scientists evaluated information from 42 individuals for this research study. The individuals all had a raised threat for heart disease.
All individuals at first followed a standard Western diet plan for 2 weeks. According to the scientists, their dietary breakdown consisted of a 50% carb consumption, 16% protein, and 34% fats.
The researchers took stool samples to examine the individuals’ gut microbiomes, and after that put the individuals in among 3 groups.
The very first group, which was called the “walnut diet group”, included individuals who consumed 57–99 grams (g.) of walnuts each day — approximately 1 cup of walnuts.
The 2nd group taken in the exact same quantities of omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid present in walnuts without consuming walnuts. This was the “matched walnut control diet.
The third group was assigned to supplement ALA with oleic acid — while not eating walnuts — and was referred to as the “oleic acid replaces ALA in diet without walnuts” group.
At completion of the 6-week diet plan durations, the scientists gathered stool samples from the individuals and evaluated the samples with metatranscriptomics “to investigate the gut microbiota composition and functionality.”
After gathering stool samples, the scientists carried out a hereditary analysis of the gut microbiota from each group. They had the ability to identify whether there were greater or lower levels of specific germs.
The scientists discovered greater levels of Gordonibacter germs in the walnut diet plan group. This germs is accountable for metabolizing plant substances.
The scientists likewise saw greater levels of gene expression in paths included with the amino acid L-homoarginine in the walnut diet plan group.
This is considerable due to the fact that individuals with
Additionally, they discovered that the individuals saw enhancements in their dysbiosis index worths — the ratio of bad germs to good germs — after spending 6 weeks on their diet plans.
While the individual swimming pool for the research study was little, the outcomes recommend the possibility of enhancing one’s threat for heart disease by making dietary modifications that affect the gut.
Mansi Chandra, an undergraduate scientist at Juniata College who will provide the research study, discussed it in an interview with Medical News Today.
“The nature of the study itself is very unique […] to our knowledge, [as] metatranscriptomics has not been used previously to assess the effect of walnut consumption on gut microbiota gene expression and is the first of its kind,” said Chandra.
“The findings of these exploratory analyses contribute to further understanding of walnut-related modulation of gut microbiome, which could be very impactful in learning how gut health impacts our heart health in general.”
– Mansi Chandra
Dr. John Higgins, a teacher of cardiovascular medication with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, who was not associated with the research study, spoke to MNT about the findings.
“Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid, and are beneficial for improving cardiovascular health. They reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol balance, reduce blood pressure, and reduce risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Higgins explained.
When inquired about the value of such research study, Dr. Higgins said it highlights “how different organ systems are interconnected.”
“In this case, the gastrointestinal system and the heart [are interconnected],” kept in mind Dr. Higgins. “A healthy gut means a healthy heart!”
“This research suggests that by adjusting diet and modulating intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism — e.g. starting to eat a cup of walnuts each day — we may be able to better help cardiovascular disease prevention,” he even more commented, though he warned that “[m]ore research is needed.”
Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, a cardiologist and teacher at UCLA, not associated with this research study, likewise spoke to MNT about the research study.
According to him, “[t]he study also supports the idea […] to promote the concept of a Mediterranean-type diet as the most heart-healthy diet, which in some studies even has [been] shown to result in a regression of atherosclerosis (calcification/hardening) of the blood vessels in the heart, the brain, and even in the sexual organs.”
“Even though we are aware of the long-term benefits of a Mediterranean diet, we do not know the exact mechanisms,” Dr. von Schwarz continued. “Therefore, this study — among others — helps us to understand possible biochemical pathways that are affected by dietary ingredients, including walnuts.”
