EFFECTS OF PISTACHIOS ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISKDISEASE RISK

该子项目是利用NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为中心机构，不一定为研究者机构。许多流行病学研究已经确定了坚果和豆类花生的心脏保护作用。已经进行了许多临床研究来评估坚果消费对心血管疾病（CVD）多种危险因素的影响，我们的研究团队在研究坚果对心血管风险标志物的影响方面具有相当丰富的经验（Kris-Etherton，Pearson et al. 1999; Kris-Etherton，Yu-Poth et al. 1999; West，Likos et al. 2002; Zhao，Etherton et al. 2004，under review）。在目前的医学文献中，杏仁和核桃被研究得最深入。相比之下，对其他坚果，包括开心果的了解较少。开心果特别令人感兴趣，因为与其他坚果相比，它们具有独特的营养和脂肪酸成分。特别是，它们是具有降低胆固醇作用的植物甾醇和许多抗氧化剂（包括维生素E、β-胡萝卜素和叶黄素）以及硒的良好来源。它们也是低饱和脂肪和高不饱和脂肪。由于这种营养“包”，食用开心果可能会显着降低多种CVD风险因素。例如，已知膳食抗氧化剂可改善血管反应性，血管反应性是内皮健康的重要新标志物（West 2001）。由于阿月浑子中植物甾醇的水平增加，它们的降胆固醇作用将大于仅从脂肪酸谱预测的效果。总之，阿月浑子中存在的营养素先前已被证明对脂质代谢和血管功能具有独立的有益作用。我们的研究将是第一个记录这些影响发生在开心果作为植物甾醇，抗氧化剂和不饱和脂肪酸的整个食物来源。 本研究设计为3个阶段、随机交叉和导入稳定饮食阶段（2周）。参与者将在饮食期间获得所有食物，并在每个阶段结束时评估终点（脂质，炎症和氧化应激标志物，血管健康，处理肥胖，心脏病，脂肪代谢的基因的遗传特征）。将比较每个饲料期的数据与导入期结束值以及饲料期结束时的组间数据。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Numerous epidemiologic studies have established cardioprotective effects of tree nuts and the legume peanuts. Many clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of nut consumption on multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and our research team has considerable experience in studying the effects of nuts on markers of cardiovascular risk (Kris-Etherton, Pearson et al. 1999; Kris-Etherton, Yu-Poth et al. 1999; West, Likos et al. 2002; Zhao, Etherton et al. 2004, under review). In the current medical literature, almonds and walnuts have been studied the most intensively. In contrast, less is known about other nuts, including pistachios. Pistachios are of particular interest because, compared to the other nuts, they have a unique nutrient and fatty acid profile. In particular, they are a good source of plant sterols, which have cholesterol lowering effects, and numerous antioxidants including vitamins E, beta-carotene and lutein, as well as selenium. They also are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fats. Because of this nutrient "package", it is likely pistachio consumption can significantly reduce multiple CVD risk factors. For example, dietary antioxidants are known to improve vascular reactivity, an important new marker of endothelial health (West 2001). Because of the increased level of plant sterols in pistachios, their cholesterol-lowering effect would be greater than predicted from the fatty acid profile alone. Taken together, the nutrients present in pistachios have previously been shown to have independent beneficial effects on lipid metabolism and vascular function. Our study would be the first to document that these effects occur with pistachios as a whole food source of phytosterols, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids. This study is designed as a 3 period, randomized crossover with a run-in stabilizing diet period (2 weeks). Participants will be given all of their food for the diet periods and endpoints will be assessed at the end of each period (lipids, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, vascular health, genetic profile for genes dealing with obesity, heart disease, fat metabolism). Data will be compared for each diet period to the end-of run-in values as well as between groups at end of diet period.