Dietary recommendations to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have focused on reducing intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) for more than 50 years. While the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise substituting both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids for SFA, evidence supports other nutrient substitutions that will also reduce CVD risk. For example, replacing SFA with whole grains, but not refined carbohydrates, reduces CVD risk. Replacing SFA with protein, especially plant protein, may also reduce CVD risk. While dairy fat (milk, cheese) is associated with a slightly lower CVD risk compared to meat, dairy fat results in a significantly greater CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids. As research continues, we will refine our understanding of dietary patterns associated with lower CVD risk.

Suboptimal nutrition has been implicated in the underlying pathology of behavioral health disorders and may impede treatment and recovery. Thus, optimizing nutritional status should be a treatment for these disorders and is likely important for prevention. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe the global burden and features of depression and anxiety, and summarize recent evidence regarding the role of diet and nutrition in the prevention and management of depression and anxiety. Current evidence suggests that healthy eating patterns that meet food-based dietary recommendations and nutrient requirements may assist in the prevention and treatment of depression and anxiety. Randomized controlled trials are needed to better understand how diet and nutrition-related biological mechanisms affect behavioral health disorders, to assist with the development of effective evidence-based nutrition interventions, to reduce the impact of these disorders, and promote well-being for affected individuals.

Salt intake in Australian adults exceeds the WHO-recommended maximum of 5 g/day and does not appear to be declining. Measuring salt intake with methods based on self-reporting can substantially underestimate consumption. The data highlight the need for ongoing action to reduce salt consumption in Australia and robust monitoring of population salt intake.

Background Observational evidence suggests higher nut consumption is associated with better glycemic control; however, it is unclear if this association is causal. Objectives We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to examine the effect of tree nuts and peanuts on markers of glycemic control in adults. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted. A total of 1063 potentially eligible articles were screened in duplicate. From these articles, 40 were eligible for inclusion and data from these articles were extracted in duplicate. The weighted mean difference (WMD) between the nut intervention and control arms was determined for fasting glucose, fasting insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects method. For outcomes where a limited number of studies were published, a qualitative synthesis was presented. Results A total of 40 randomized controlled trials including 2832 unique participants, with a median duration of 3 mo (range: 1–12 mo), were included. Overall consumption of tree nuts or peanuts had a favorable effect on HOMA-IR (WMD: −0.23; 95% CI: −0.40, −0.06; I2 = 51.7%) and fasting insulin (WMD: −0.40 μIU/mL; 95% CI: −0.73, −0.07 μIU/mL; I2 = 49.4%). There was no significant effect of nut consumption on fasting blood glucose (WMD: −0.52 mg/dL; 95% CI: −1.43, 0.38 mg/dL; I2 = 53.4%) or HbA1c (WMD: 0.02%; 95% CI: −0.01%, 0.04%; I2 = 51.0%). Conclusions Consumption of peanuts or tree nuts significantly decreased HOMA-IR and fasting insulin; there was no effect of nut consumption on HbA1c or fasting glucose. The results suggest that nut consumption may improve insulin sensitivity. In the future, well-designed clinical trials are required to elucidate the mechanisms that account for these observed effects.

G lobally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death accounting for 31% in 2008.1 Obesity is an independent predictor of CVD and weight loss has been shown to improve many obesity-related risk factors. 2 However, there are few studies investigating the effect of weight loss on cardiovascular end points. The Trial of Nonpharmacological Interventions in the Elderly enrolled subjects >60 years with hypertension to investigate the effect of weight loss on blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes.3 After a median follow-up of 29 months, the hazard ratio (HR) for a cardiovascular end point or diagnosis of high blood pressure in the weight reduction group was 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49, 0.85; P=0.002). 4 More recently, the Look AHEAD trial (n=5145) failed to show a benefit of weight reduction on cardiovascular end points in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus after a median followup of 9.6 years. 5 In the Look AHEAD trial, the mean weight loss in the intervention group was 6%, compared with 3.5% in the control group.Carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is considered the gold standard method for measuring arterial stiffness because it measures the propagation of the forward pressure at the level of the aorta.6 A meta-analysis of individual participant data from 17 studies (17 635 participants) showed that cfPWV was an independent predictor of coronary heart disease (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.35), stroke (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.42), CVD (HR, 1.30; 1.18 to 1.43), CVD mortality (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.43), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.17; 1.11 to 1.22), after adjustment for established risk factors. Furthermore, the addition of cfPWV to conventional Framingham risk factors improved 10-year CVD risk prediction by 13% in those at intermediate risk of CVD. 7 Many studies indicate that weight loss may improve pulse wave velocity (PWV), although in about half of the studies the change is not statistically significant. A meta-analysis has not been conducted to assess the overall effect of weight loss. The primary aim of this meta-analysis of intervention trials is © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc. Objective-To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials involving adults, to determine the effect of weight loss induced by energy restriction with or without exercise, antiobesity drugs or bariatric surgery on pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured at all arterial segments. Approach and Results-A systematic search of Pubmed (1966Pubmed ( to 2014, EMBASE (1947EMBASE ( to 2014, MEDLINE (1946MEDLINE ( to 2014, and the Cochrane Library (1951 to 2014) was conducted and the reference lists of identified articles were searched to find intervention trials (randomized/nonrandomized) that aimed to achieve weight loss and included PWV as an outcome. The search was restricted to human studies. Two independent researchers extracted the data. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis version 2 using random effects analysis. A total of 22 studies wer...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI)–Eat Less Salt intervention conducted in Viet Tri, Vietnam. The behavior change intervention was implemented in four wards and four communes for one year, which included mass media communication, school interventions, community programs, and focus on high‐risk groups. Mean sodium excretion was estimated from spot urine samples using different equations. A subsample provided 24‐hour urine to validate estimates from spot urine. Information about salt‐related knowledge and behaviors was also collected. There were 513 participants at both baseline and follow‐up. Mean sodium excretion estimated from spot urines fell significantly from 8.48 g/d at baseline to 8.05 g/d at follow‐up (P=.001). All spot equations demonstrated a significant reduction in sodium levels; however, the change was smaller than the measured 24‐hour urine. Participants showed improved knowledge and behaviors following the intervention. The COMBI intervention was effective in lowering average population salt intake and improving knowledge and behaviors.

Effective strategies are needed to help individuals lose weight and maintain weight loss. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intermittent energy restriction (IER) compared to continuous energy restriction (CER) on weight loss after 8 weeks and weight loss maintenance after 12 months. Secondary aims were to determine changes in waist and hip measurements and diet quality. In a randomized parallel study, overweight and obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 27 kg m(-2)) women were stratified by age and BMI before randomization. Participants undertook an 8-week intensive period with weight, waist and hip circumference measured every 2 weeks, followed by 44 weeks of independent dieting. A food frequency questionnaire was completed at baseline and 12 months, from which diet quality was determined. Weight loss was not significantly different between the two groups at 8 weeks (-3.2 ± 2.1 kg CER, n = 20, -2.0 ± 1.9 kg IER, n = 25; P = 0.06) or at 12 months (-4.2 ± 5.6 kg CER, n = 17 -2.1 ± 3.8 kg IER, n = 19; P = 0.19). Weight loss between 8 and 52 weeks was -0.7 ± 49 kg CER vs. -1 ± 1.1 kg IER; P = 0.6. Waist and hip circumference decreased significantly with time (P < 0.01), with no difference between groups. There was an increase in the Healthy Eating Index at 12 months in the CER compared with the IER group (CER 8.4 ± 9.1 vs. IER -0.3 ± 8.4, P = 0.006). This study indicates that intermittent dieting was as effective as continuous dieting over 8 weeks and for weight loss maintenance at 12 months. This may be useful for individuals who find CER too difficult to maintain.

Contemporary dietary guidance recommends healthy dietary patterns with emphasis on food-based recommendations because the totality of the diet (i.e., the combinations and quantities of foods and nutrients consumed) is an important determinant of health. In many guidelines, recommendations are still made for saturated fat, added sugar, sodium, and dietary cholesterol because these are over-consumed by many people and are related to chronic disease development. Epidemiological research illustrates the importance of considering the total diet and the interrelatedness of nutrients in a dietary pattern. Traditionally, epidemiological research focused on individual nutrients in isolation, which can result in erroneous conclusions. An example of this, which has led to substantial controversy, is the evidence from studies evaluating the association between saturated fat and CVD without considering the replacement nutrient. Another controversial topic is the relationship between dietary cholesterol and CVD, which is confounded by saturated fat intake. Finally, the totality of evidence shows that high sodium intake is associated with greater CVD risk; however, some epidemiological research has suggested that a low-sodium intake is detrimental, which has caused some controversy. Overall, this reductionist approach has led to a debate about recommendations for saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. However, if approaches that accounted for the interrelatedness of nutrients had been taken, it is likely that there would be less controversy about these nutrients. To encourage dietary pattern-based approaches and consideration of total intake, dietary guidelines should emphasize food-based recommendations that meet nutrient targets. Thus, nutrient targets should underpin food-based dietary guidelines, and recommended dietary patterns should comply with nutrient-based targets. The evidence reviewed shows that it is imperative to consider total dietary patterns for CVD prevention. Dietary guidance should be aligned with nutrient targets and recommendations should be food and dietary pattern based.