Latest from Food Politics: Industry-funded studies of the week: peanuts and almonds

Nuts are a great snack but I am always skeptical when industry-funded studies find them to perform health miracles.   Here are two parallel examples reported by SciTechDaily. I.   Scientists Discover That Eating Peanuts Every Day May Help Protect the ...

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By Marion Nestle November 09 2026 Industry-funded studies of the week: peanuts and almonds Nuts are a great snack but I am always skeptical when industry-funded studies find them to perform health miracles.  Here are two parallel examples reported by SciTechDaily. I.  Scientists Discover That Eating Peanuts Every Day May Help Protect the Aging Brain: Peanuts may offer more than a convenient source of protein and healthy fats. New research suggests that eating them regularly could help the aging brain respond more effectively to insulin, a hormone that plays an important role in memory, learning, and communication between nerve cells. As people grow older, the brain can become less sensitive to insulin, a change linked to age-related cognitive decline. The study: “Daily consumption of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts beneficially affects regional brain insulin responsiveness in older adults: results of a longer-term randomized controlled trial” by Kerkhof, Lucia, Mensink, Ronald P., Plat, Jogchum, Nijssen, Kevin M. R. and Joris, Peter J., 30 September 2026, Food & Function. DOI: 10.1039/d6fo03208g Funding: The NUTRIM study was supported by funding from The Peanut Institute Foundation. The funder did not have a role in the study design, implementation, analysis, or interpretation of the data or the writing of the manuscript. II.  Scientists Reveal That Eating Almonds Every Day Could Transform Your Gut, Metabolism, and Appetite: Replacing typical Western-style snacks with a daily serving of almonds may improve gut bacteria, lower several inflammatory signals, and increase hormones linked to fullness, according to a new controlled feeding study. The study: “Almond snacking modulates gut microbiome and metabolome in association with improved cardiometabolic and inflammatory markers” by Gwoncheol Park, Katelyn Johnson, Katelyn Miller, Saurabh Kadyan, Saiful Singar, Cole Patoine, Fuhua Hao, Yujin Lee, Andrew D. Patterson, Bahram Arjmandi, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Claire E. Berryman and Ravinder Nagpal, 20 March 2025, npj Science of Food. DOI: 10.1038/s41538-025-00403-0 Funding: The research was supported by funding from the Almond Board of California (ABC; ECP-Nagpal-NR-001) to RN. The findings in this publication have not been formally disseminated by the funders and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. Comment: As is almost always the case with studies involving one food, the operative words are “may” and “could.”  When you see these words, note that they equally mean “may not” and “could not.”  As shown by these examples, industry-funded studies commonly produce results interpreted as favorable to the sponsor’s products.  Nuts are “real” foods, nutritious, delicious, and terrific to eat.  Can eating them alone ensure cognitive function in old age or healthy metabolic function?  Surely they contribute to healthy eating but it’s the total dietary pattern that makes the real difference.  I do like peanuts and almonds…. The post Industry-funded studies of the week: peanuts and almonds appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Industry funded study of the week: Trans fats Industry funded study of the week: Beef Most studies criticizing the Nova classification of ultra-processed foods are funded by food companies   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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