2013 Marks 20th Anniversary of Landmark Clinical Research from Loma Linda University

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May 15, 2013, 09:00 ET

FOLSOM, Calif., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1993, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published landmark research from Loma Linda University showing the heart protective quality of walnuts. In the two decades since, 91 studies and counting, worldwide, have linked numerous potential health benefits from walnuts in the areas of heart health, diabetes, weight management and cognitive function. Additional research has been investigating the potential benefits of walnuts on various types of cancer in animal models (the results are indicators that are used as background and to formulate hypotheses for other studies); this includes eight studies co-funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research, resulting in $488,000 in grants supporting walnuts health research.

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Such research has contributed to the shift in perception from walnuts being a food to avoid because of fat, to being named a "SuperFood"¹with "good fat." In fact, the health benefits are now the top reason that consumers are purchasing more walnuts.

Other milestones have included:

In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) affirmed a qualified health claim for walnuts, one of the first for a whole food. "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. See nutrition information for fat content."²
In 2011, the American Heart Association certified walnuts as a heart-healthy food with its Heart-Check mark, an icon that consumers trust.
In 2012, walnuts were the only nut to receive health claims from the European Union. Walnuts received four: one specific to walnuts and blood flow, and three generic health claims.

Joan Sabate, M.D., Dr.PH., Chair of the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University, served as principal investigator of the 1993 study³ that directly linked the benefit of walnut consumption to serum cholesterol in a small group of healthy men. "Twenty years ago we released the first study showing the health benefits of walnuts. Subsequent years of research have shown benefits in other populations. Now, the results of a trial from Spain⁴, recently announced at Loma Linda, further demonstrate that a plant-based diet, infused with nutritious unrefined plant fats, can have long-lasting effects for heart health," said Dr. Sabate in reference to the landmark Spanish PREDIMED (PREvencion con DIeta MEDiterranea) trial results. This newly published study found a Mediterranean diet including nuts, primarily walnuts, reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death) by 30% and specifically reduced the risk of stroke by 49% when compared to a reference diet consisting of advice on a low-fat diet (American Heart Association guidelines). Please note, because the study participants were at high cardiovascular risk, whether the results can be generalized to persons at lower risk or to other settings requires further research.

"The PREDIMED study is very important to the field of nutrition in that it looked at clinical outcomes, not just risk factors, which sets a tone for future research – that you can study what we eat in its natural form and come out at the end with reduced disease events," said David R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, who also commented that this research should be of interest to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advisory committee. It is particularly important to scientists because the clinical trial design meets a very high standard for validity of the results.

Researchers, including Dr. Sabate, believe it is the synergy of nutrients in the whole walnut that yields the benefits, but note that walnuts are unique among nuts as the only one with a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based essential omega-3 fatty acid.

The California walnut industry has been at the forefront and a leader in research focused on whole foods. "The industry is proud to grow a whole food that tastes great, is very versatile, and has proven health benefits. Consumers have responded overwhelmingly to the health message," said Dennis A. Balint, chief executive officer of the California Walnut Commission (CWC). "In 1987, health was not at all associated with walnut purchases. Now, after twenty years of health research and ninety-one publications, 86% of consumers believe walnuts are a nutritious food."

Commenting on what this all means to the California walnut growers, Carl Cilker, a grower and the chair of the CWC's market development committee says, "Walnut growers have always believed in the healthy value of their crop and results from years of research have shown health benefits beyond what we imagined. Future research will increase our knowledge of walnuts' benefits and will underscore the importance of providing a stable supply for the increasing number of consumers who purchase them."

The latest research:

For more industry information, health research and recipe ideas, visit www.walnuts.org

Media resources available:

B-roll
High Resolution Photography (Beauty Shots, Recipes, Other)
Fact sheet
Health Professionals Resource Guide (synopsis of walnuts clinical studies)

Expert interviews available upon request:

WALNUT INDUSTRY MEMBERS
- Dennis A. Balint, Chief Executive Officer, California Walnut Commission
- Carl Cilker, Grower
LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER
- Joan Sabate, M.D., Dr.PH. – Chair of Nutrition, Loma Linda School of Public Health
PREDIMED STUDY RESEARCHERS
- Ramon Estruch, M.D., Ph.D. – Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and general coordinator for PREDIMED
- Emilio Ros, Ph.D. – Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and coordinator of the nutrition intervention for PREDIMED
- Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, M.D., Ph.D. – PREDIMED Researcher
OTHER EXPERTS
- David R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D. – Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
- James Beckerman, M.D. – Cardiologist, Providence Heart and Vascular Institute; Author of "The Flex Diet"
- Wendy Bazilian, Dr.PH., R.D. – Registered Dietitian and Author of "The SuperFoodsRx Diet"
- Joanne M. Foody, M.D. – Medical Director Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cardiovascular Division
- Matthew Sorrentino, M.D. – Professor of Medicine; Preventative Cardiologist, The University of Chicago

About California Walnuts:

The California walnut industry is made up of more than 4,000 growers and more than 80 handlers. The growers and handlers are represented by two entities, the California Walnut Board (CWB) and the California Walnut Commission (CWC).

California Walnut Commission

The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The Commission is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities.

Non-Discrimination Statement

The California Walnut Commission (CWC) prohibits discrimination in all programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance programs. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the CWC offices at (916) 922-5888. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). CWC is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

The California Walnut Commission offices are located at 101 Parkshore Dr., Ste. #250, Folsom, CA 95630

¹ "SuperFoodsRX™: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life," 2004, Steven Pratt, M.D.

² One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3.

³ N Engl J Med 1993; 328:603-607

⁴ N Engl J Med 2013; 368:1279-1290

SOURCE California Walnut Commission