Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E, folate, melatonin, several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts ofn-3 α-linolenic fatty acid. The present study sought to determine the effect of walnuts on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, memory and mood. A total of sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to two treatment sequences in a crossover fashion: walnuts–placebo or placebo–walnuts. Baseline data were collected for non-verbal reasoning, verbal reasoning, memory and mood states. Data were collected again after 8 weeks of intervention. After 6 weeks of washout, the intervention groups followed the diets in reverse order. Data were collected once more at the end of the 8-week intervention period. No significant increases were detected for mood, non-verbal reasoning or memory on the walnut-supplemented diet. However, inferential verbal reasoning increased significantly by 11·2 %, indicating a medium effect size (P = 0·009;d = 0·567). In young, healthy, normal adults, walnuts do not appear to improve memory, mood or non-verbal reasoning abilities. However, walnuts may have the ability to increase inferential reasoning.

There have been many publications in recent years reporting on the quantity of physical activity among college students using indirect indicators such as steps walked per day or time spent on physical activities. The purpose of this study was to describe the trends of physical fitness related to BMI and body fat among university students between 1996 and 2008. The results showed a significant decline in the average fitness levels measured as an estimation of VO_2max for male and female students (p < 0.001 for both sexes). The linear trend for BMI by years was not significant for both sexes (p for males = 0.772, p for females = 0.253). On average, in the last 13 years, % body fat was increasing 0.513%/year for males and 0.654%/year for females. There is a significant indirect correlation between the student’s VO_2max levels and % body fat, r = −0.489; p < 0.001 for males; and r = −0.416, p < 0.001 for females. Approximately 23.9% of the variance in the VO_2max levels in males and 17.3% in females can be explained by the variance in % body fat. The results support recent findings that physical fitness among college students is declining and body fatness is increasing.

The inclusion of nuts in the diet is associated with a decreased risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension, gallstones, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and visceral obesity. Frequent consumption of berries seems to be associated with improved cardiovascular and cancer outcomes, improved immune function, and decreased recurrence of urinary tract infections; the consumption of nuts and berries is associated with reduction in oxidative damage, inflammation, vascular reactivity, and platelet aggregation, and improvement in immune functions. However, only recently have the effects of nut and berry consumption on the brain, different neural systems, and cognition been studied. There is growing evidence that the synergy and interaction of all of the nutrients and other bioactive components in nuts and berries can have a beneficial effect on the brain and cognition. Regular nut consumption, berry consumption, or both could possibly be used as an adjunctive therapeutic strategy in the treatment and prevention of several neurodegenerative diseases and age-related brain dysfunction. A number of animal and a growing number of human studies show that moderate-duration dietary supplementation with nuts, berry fruit, or both is capable of altering cognitive performance in humans, perhaps forestalling or reversing the effects of neurodegeneration in aging.

The objective of the study was to examine whether reasons to adopt vegetarian lifestyle differ significantly among generations. Using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), we identified that 4% of the participants were vegans, 25% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 4% pesco-vegetarians and 67% non-vegetarian. Younger people significantly agreed more with the moral reason and with the environmental reason. People ages 41–60 significantly agreed more with the health reason. There are significant differences across generations as to why people choose to live a vegetarian lifestyle.

Margarine is a major source of trans fatty acids, the intake of which has risen since the early 20th century. Some data indicate that consumption of trans fatty acids increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In 1966–1969, 832 men from the Framingham Study, age 45–64 years and free of CHD, were administered a single 24-hour dietary recall, from which we estimated total daily margarine intake. We calculated CHD cumulative incidence rates and, using proportional hazards regression, CHD incidence rate ratios over 21 years of follow-up. Mean energy intake was 2,619 kcal; mean margarine intake was 1.8 (range 0–12) tsp per day. There were 267 incident cases of CHD. Age-adjusted CHD cumulative incidence rose over categories of margarine intake, but the increased risk was apparent only in the second half of the follow-up period. Adjusted for age and energy intake, the risk ratio for CHD for each increment of 1 teaspoon per day of margarine was 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91–1.05] for the first 10 years of follow-up and 1.10 (95% CI = 1.04–1.17) for follow-up years 11–21. Adjustment for total fat intake and for cigarette smoking, glucose intolerance, left ventricular hypertrophy, body mass index, blood pressure, physical activity, and alcohol intake did not materially change the results. Butter intake did not predict CHD incidence. These data offer modest support to the hypothesis that margarine intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Protein plays a crucial role in the growth and development of adolescents. However, being a secondary energy source, protein’s role in obesity has been sidelined. We examined whether intake of protein (total, animal, plant), branched-chain (BCAAs), and sulfur-containing (SCAAs) amino acids are associated with general body and central obesity and body composition in a cross-sectional study among healthy adolescents. Students aged 12–18 years old (n = 601) in schools near two major Adventist universities in California and Michigan provided dietary data via a validated web-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and anthropometric data during school visits. Intakes of total, animal, and plant proteins, and BCAAs and SCAAs were derived from FFQ data. We defined general body obesity with body-mass-index-for-age (BMIz) z-scores and central obesity with waist-to-height ratios (WHtR). After full adjustment for covariates, multiple regression analyses showed significant positive associations between intakes of total protein (β = 0.101, 95% CI: 0.041, 0.161), animal protein (β = 0.118, 95% CI: 0.057, 0.178), BCAAs (β = 0.056, 95% CI: 0.025, 0.087), and SCAAs (β = 0.025, 95% CI: 0.012, 0.038) with general body adiposity. Animal protein (β = 0.017, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.033) and SCAAs (β = 0.004, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.008) were also associated with central obesity. Total and animal protein and BCAA and SCAA were also significantly associated with fat mass. Our findings suggest that high protein intake may pose a possible detriment to adolescent health. Longitudinal and safety evaluation studies are recommended.