The Effect of a Healthy Snack on Body Weight and Composition

Mixed Nuts as Healthy Snack: Effect on Body Weight and Composition

The results from this study may help to explain if incorporating mixed nuts in a reduced calorie diet will lead to weight loss.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Overweight
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Mixed Tree Nuts; Other: Pretzels

Detailed Description

This study will compare two energy reduced diets; one diet will include one serving of mixed nuts (1.5oz) per day, while the other diet will include an equal amount of calories from a carbohydrate source, such as a pretzel snack. All subjects will receive a dietary plan that reduces their usual intake by 500kcal/day with the same percentage of fat, protein and carbohydrates for the first 12 weeks followed a diet with their usual intake for 12 weeks without nuts or pretzels.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 131
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
      • UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, 900 Veteran Avenue, WH 14-187

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 40 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female between the ages of 40-60 years of age (female premenopausal).
• Body Mass Index (BMI) 27.0-35.0 kg/m2.
• Not currently taking a prescription or over the counter medication for weight loss.
• Not currently enrolled in any commercial weight loss program (e.g. Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers), internet based weight-management program, self-help group (e.g. Overeaters Anonymous) or participating in any food preparation/delivery program. If subject is willing to discontinue program immediately and willing to refrain from program for duration of study, he/she may be included after a two-week washout period.
• Willing to keep and turn in a daily log/compliance book as required by study protocol.
• Willingness and ability to make all scheduled appointments.
• Willing to follow dietary recommendations required by study protocol.
• Willingness to periodically have small blood samples drawn as indicated in the protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

• More than a 5-pound weight gain or weight loss within the 3 months prior to enrollment in the study.
• History of thyroid disease, but not taking medication or medication dosage changed one or more times over last 6 months. History of thyroid disease and on a stable dose of prescription medication for 6 months or longer is acceptable.
• History of Type I or Type II diabetes, major surgery, heart problems (e.g. angina, bypass surgery, MI, etc.), presence of implanted cardiac defibrillator or pacemaker, uncontrolled hypertension/high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders including chronic malabsorptive conditions, peptic ulcer disease, Crohn's disease, chronic diarrhea or active gallbladder disease, inflammatory bowel disease, fatty liver or cancer within three months of enrollment
• History of a surgical procedure for weight loss at any time (e.g. gastroplasty, gastric by-pass, gastrectomy or partial gastrectomy).
• Following a diet that requires the elimination of FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols)
• Following a specific diet that restricts specific food groups (eg. Paleo) or with extreme macronutrient ratios (carbohydrates, fats and proteins).
• History of clinically diagnosed eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder.
• Women who are pregnant, lactating or trying to become pregnant.
• Currently taking any prescription medication for less than 3 months.
• Currently taking any prescriptions drugs or supplements that may impact weight regulation
• Currently consuming >14 alcoholic drinks (1 drink = 12 fl oz beer, 4 fl oz wine or 1.5 fl oz liquor) per week and/or unwilling to limit intake to less than 3 drinks per week during study participation or history of alcohol dependency.
• Known allergy to almond, pistachio, walnut, macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, or pecan nuts.
• Participation in another clinical trial within 30 days prior to enrollment.
• Currently smoking cigarettes.
• Any known clinically significant food allergy or intolerance.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mixed Tree Nuts; a hypo caloric weight loss dietary plan with mixed tree nuts	Other: Mixed Tree Nuts; Individuals on a hypo caloric weight loss dietary plan supplemented with 1.5oz mixed tree nuts
Active Comparator: Pretzels; a hypo caloric weight loss dietary plan with pretzels	Other: Pretzels; Individuals on a hypo caloric weight loss dietary plan supplemented with 1.5oz pretzels

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in body weight	Weight loss as determined by body composition and body mass index	baseline to Week 24

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD, UCLA Department of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 30, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 17, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): May 19, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 19, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 14, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Overweight; Body Weight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 17-000361

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No
• IPD Plan Description: There is no plan to share IPD

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No