Effect of an Eight Week Dietary Intervention of Pecans on Cardiometabolic Parameters and Serum Cytokines in Individuals with Obesity or Overweight: A Preliminary Study

Obesity is a major health concern within the United States. Previous studies have shown that a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) may help combat metabolic disease by improving cardiometabolic and inflammatory status. Pecans have high MUFA content and the highest antioxidant capacity of any nut. The aim of this preliminary study is to determine if a diet supplemented with 1.5 ounces of pecans daily for eight weeks could improve blood glucose, lipid panel, inflammatory markers, and body composition in individuals with overweight and obesity as compared to a control group who maintained their normal diet. Post-intervention measurements showed no significant difference from baseline values for either the experimental or the control group. Data acquired using the Vioscreen Food Frequency Questionnaire found negative correlations were present between LDL cholesterol and dietary intake of iron, selenium, zinc, MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol. Furthermore, there were negative correlations determined between fasting blood glucose and dietary intake of magnesium, MUFA, and SFA. Regarding inflammatory markers, no detectable levels of IL-10 nor TNF-α were found in the majority of samples. IL-6 was detectable in all samples, but showed no statistical difference between any of the groups in the study. Thus, an intervention of 1.5 oz of pecans for eight weeks did not significantly change measured metabolic parameters nor levels of serum IL-6. However, due to the sample size limitations of this hypothesis-generating preliminary study, further research is needed. Further studies should include a longer intervention period, a larger cohort, and potentially a larger dosage of pecans to increase the amount of MUFA in the diet to determine if such interventions may influence cardiometabolic and inflammatory parameters.