tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/nuts-924/articlesNuts – The Conversation2023-10-11T16:36:25Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2129192023-10-11T16:36:25Z2023-10-11T16:36:25ZIn praise of almonds and nuts<p>They’re known as <a href="https://www.em-consulte.com/article/79057/les-categories-d-aliments">‘oily fruits’</a>. Because of their numerous health benefits, notwithstanding their high fat content, almonds, hazelnuts and other nuts are among foods recommended for consumption in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27712954/">Canada</a>, <a href="https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/previous-dietary-guidelines/2015">the US</a>, <a href="https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/determinants-de-sante/nutrition-et-activite-physique/documents/rapport-synthese/recommandations-relatives-a-l-alimentation-a-l-activite-physique-et-a-la-sedentarite-pour-les-adultes">France</a> and across <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/health-knowledge-gateway/promotion-prevention/nutrition/food-based-dietary-guidelines">the EU</a> – to the tune of a small handful each day.</p>
<p>From a nutritional standpoint, these hard-shelled fruits are <a href="https://www.elsevier-masson.fr/nutrition-clinique-pratique-9782294754685.html">distinguished</a> by high levels (50-75%) of unsaturated fats (which are seen as ‘good fats’), significant protein content (10-25%), plus minerals (sodium, magnesium, potassium), vitamins B3, B9, B6 and E, fibre, antioxidants and vegetable oils. A stack of data suggests that they could help us age well and protect us from a range of chronic conditions.</p>
<h2>Stripping out ‘bad’ cholesterol</h2>
<p>If there’s one area where shelled fruits <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/"> [JN1]</a> have proved their worth, it’s bringing cholesterol down. Reducing the amount of animal fat in your diet and eating fibre are, for certain, effective ways to cut levels of LDL-cholesterol, that’s to say ‘bad cholesterol’. But many studies have also shown the benefits of a daily handful of almonds. The same seems true of all nuts.</p>
<p>In 2010, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20458092/">a study of the collected data</a> over the course of 25 clinical trials involving men and women with high cholesterol showed that eating 67g of nuts every day for 3-8 weeks could cut LDL-C levels by 7.4%, with more sizeable effects than this on symptoms since the patients were over healthy limits previously.</p>
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<p>Another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29931130/">systematic data review</a>confirmed this, albeit at a more modest rate. Carried out in 2018, it analysed results from 26 clinical trials: the authors in this case detected a 3.7% fall in LDL-C levels for a diet rich in shelled fruits (15-108g per day) over a period of one to 12 months. It’s known that lowering LDL-C levels is linked to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29677301/">a reduction in total mortality and in deaths from cardiovascular disease</a>, particularly if levels were high to start with. Even if no clinical study has yet shown that eating nuts can reduce the risk of heart failure, there’s no shortage of arguments to support such a hypothesis.</p>
<h2>Lower risk of cardiovascular disease</h2>
<p>First one might point to the results of a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31361320/">meta-analysis published in 2019</a>. Applying the criteria used by Canada’s Cochrane Centre, the authors chose 19 studies, and evaluated that a 28g daily portion of shelled fruits is associated with a 13% fall in cardiovascular disease, and 29% in deaths from heart disease.</p>
<p>You could also refer to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29897866/">huge randomised and controlled study across many different locations</a> on the role of a Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts in reducing the risk of heart disease. Participants in this, aged 55-80 and registering a significant risk of heart disease were assigned one of three diets – low-fat, a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, and a Mediterranean diet with added nuts. They were tracked for almost 5 years on average. At the end of the research, it was shown that heart problems were less frequent among the two groups following the Mediterranean diet.</p>
<h2>Fat that doesn’t make you put on weight</h2>
<p>On the energy side, 30g of almonds, peanuts, pistachios or cashews work out as a 180 calorie snack; the same quantity of pecans or Brazil nuts come to 220-230 calories. These figures are roughly equivalent to 30-40g of milk chocolate. Since the calorific content is essentially made up of fats, one might be given to think one must beware of ‘oily fruits’ if weight-watching. But that assumption would be wrong…</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29977320/">a recent piece of research closely analysed</a> six cohort studies and 62 randomised diet tests. This concluded that regularly eating nuts for a longer or shorter period of time (between 3 and 336 weeks) is linked to very slight weight loss (an average of 200g) and a shrinking waistline (by an average of 0.5cm).</p>
<p>If the reasons for these counter-intuitive outcomes haven’t been adequately explained yet, various theories can be put forward. For one, the matrix that encases the oils in nuts limits, to an extent, their absorption in the gut. To put it simply – some of the fat content in nuts is eliminated in the body’s cells, rather than being absorbed. Meanwhile, thanks to how they blunt our appetite, almonds and other nuts reduce the amount we eat at meals, so much so that our overall calorie count is no greater, or perhaps less than it would have been without them.</p>
<h2>Do nuts have anti-cancer properties?</h2>
<p>Other benefits are attributed to shelled fruits – notably around cancer prevention, although the evidence for this is weak. The relevant studies rely on observations alone, and suffer from various interpretation biases.</p>
<p>Thus, according to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32041895">an analysis of 33 studies published before June 2019</a>, increased consumption of nuts is demonstrably linked to a 10% fall in cancer risk; and the effect is more marked for cancers of the digestive system, with a risk reduction of 17%.</p>
<p>Nuts’ <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19703258">high antioxidant content</a> might be one of the drivers for this. But before exploring this hypothesis further, we need to check the observed data with verifiable controlled and randomised clinical trials. For the moment, there’s nothing that allows us to say that eating nuts protects against cancer.</p>
<h2>Fewer neurodegenerative conditions</h2>
<p>Oils and fats are vital for the brain. After fat tissue, it’s the organ in the body <a href="https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00897946/document">richest in lipids</a>: they can be found in the neuron membranes and related cells, but also in the myelin which speeds up the transmission of electrical impulses through the nervous system.</p>
<p>Several research teams have set out to evaluate the <a href="https://content.iospress.com/download/nutrition-and-aging/nua007?id=nutrition-and-aging%2Fnua007">benefits</a> of nuts for the central nervous system. What have they learned?</p>
<p>Their notable discovery was that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18778529/">after a few weeks</a> of a diet more or less rich in nuts, 19 month-old rats performed better on psychometric tests. A diet of 2% nuts boosted their performance on a rod-clambering test, one of 6% nuts saw them do better on a plank-walking test, and at both these levels their powers of short term memory were heightened. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22048906/">These results have been confirmed</a> by a study of shorter duration, with a marked improvement detectable in the rodents’ learning and memory.</p>
<p>As for humans, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22349682/">a study of the PREDIMED diet intervention</a> has shown that a Mediterranean diet rich in nuts improves short-term memory. It has also offered evidence, at a biological level, of a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22005283/">reduced risk of low BDNF plasma</a> – a protein which helps the growth and vigour of new neurons. Nuts seem to have a beneficial role at warding off age-related cognitive decline. However, we don’t have direct proof that if one regularly eats nuts, it reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.</p>
<p>To sum up: nuts appear at first glance to have all the features allowing them to be considered allies of our health. While they are calorie-rich and high in fats, a 30g serving per day seems to cut “bad cholesterol” and protect us from cardiovascular disease, without affecting our weight. There are plenty of theories that suggest they a positive impact, both on other illnesses and warding off cognitive decline associated with age.</p>
<p>Plenty of good reasons to recommend everyone to include a handful of almonds, hazelnuts or other nuts in the food they eat each day – obviously without added sugar or salt!</p>
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<p><em>Translation from French into English by <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshNeicho">Joshua Neicho</a></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212919/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Despite their high fat content, almonds, nuts and other shelled fruits do not make you put on weight. In fact, research continues to marvel over their seemingly endless health benefits.Boris Hansel, Médecin, Professeur des universités- Praticien hospitalier, Inserm U1148, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris CitéDiana Kadouch, Praticien Hospitalier, Hôpital Bichat, Service de Diabétologie-Nutrition, AP-HP, Chargée de cours au sein du DU de nutrition, Université Paris CitéJérémy Puyraimond-Zemmour, Assistant spécialiste, Service de Diabétologie-Nutrition, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Chargé de cours au sein du DU de nutrition, Université Paris CitéLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1764942022-02-08T19:03:46Z2022-02-08T19:03:46ZChanging your diet could add ten years to your life – new research<p>Everyone wants to live longer. And we’re often told that the key to doing this is making healthier lifestyle choices, such as exercising, avoiding smoking and not drinking too much alcohol. Studies have also shown that diet can <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/mediterranean-journal-of-nutrition-and-metabolism/mnm180225">increase lifespan</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889">new study</a> has found that eating healthier could extend lifespan by six to seven years in middle-aged age adults, and in young adults, could increase lifespan by about ten years. </p>
<p>The researchers brought together data from many studies that looked at diet and longevity, alongside data from the <a href="https://www.healthdata.org/gbd/2019">Global Burden of Disease</a> study, which provides a summary of population health from many countries. Combining this data, the authors were then able to estimate how life expectancy varied with continuous changes in intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, refined grains, nuts, legumes, fish, eggs, dairy, red meat, processed meat and sugary drinks. </p>
<p>The authors were then able to produce an optimal diet for longevity, which they then compared with the typical western diet – which mostly contains high amounts of processed foods, red meat, high-fat dairy products, high-sugar foods, pre-packed foods and low fruit and vegetable intake. According to their research, an optimal diet included more legumes (beans, peas and lentils), whole grains (oats, barley and brown rice) and nuts, and less red and processed meat. </p>
<p>The researchers found that eating an optimal diet from age 20 would increase life expectancy by more than a decade for women and men from the US, China and Europe. They also found that changing from a western diet to the optimal diet at age 60 would increase life expectancy by eight years. For 80-year-olds, life expectancy could increase by almost three and a half years. </p>
<p>But given it isn’t always possible for people to completely change their diet, the researchers also calculated what would happen if people changed from a western diet to a diet that was halfway between the optimal diet and the typical western diet. They found that even this kind of diet – which they called a “feasibility approach diet” – could still increase life expectancy for 20-year-olds by just over six years for women and just over seven years for men.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A table which shows how many grams of each food group a person should aim to consume on each of the three diets the researchers looked at in their study." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445094/original/file-20220208-21-2q91vx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A table showing the typical amount of foods people should aim to consume daily on each type of diet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Laura Brown</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>These results show us that making long-term diet changes at any age may have substantial benefits to life expectancy. But the gains are largest if these changes start early in life. </p>
<h2>Full picture?</h2>
<p>The life expectancy estimates this study makes come from the most thorough and recent meta-analyses (a study that combines the results of multiple scientific studies) on diet and mortality. </p>
<p>While meta-analyses are, in many cases, the best evidence because of the amount of data analysed, they still produce assumptions with the data, which may cause important differences between studies to be ignored. It’s also worth noting that the evidence for reducing consumption of eggs and white meat was of a lower quality than the evidence they had for whole grains, fish, processed meats and nuts. </p>
<p>There are also a few things the study didn’t take into account. First, to see these benefits, people needed to make changes to their diet within a ten-year period. This means it’s uncertain if people may still see benefits to their lifespan if they make changes to their diet over a longer period of time. The study also didn’t take past ill-health into account, which can affect life expectancy. This means that the benefits of diet on life expectancy only reflect an average and may be different for each person depending on a variety of other factors, such as ongoing health issues, genetics and lifestyle, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and exercise.</p>
<p>But the evidence the researchers looked at was still robust and drawn from many studies on this subject. These findings also align with <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/mediterranean-journal-of-nutrition-and-metabolism/mnm180225#ref181">previous research</a> which has shown that modest but long-term improvements to diet and lifestyle can have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20421558/">significant health benefits</a> – including longevity.</p>
<p>It’s not yet entirely clear all the mechanisms that explain why diet can improve lifespan. But the optimal diet that the researchers uncovered in this study includes many foods that are high in antioxidants. <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/mediterranean-journal-of-nutrition-and-metabolism/mnm180225#ref18">Some research</a> in human cells suggests that these substances may slow or prevent damage to cells, which is one cause of ageing. However, research in this area is still ongoing, so it’s uncertain whether antioxidants that we consume as part of our diet will have the same effect. Many of the foods included within this study also have anti-inflammatory properties, which may also delay the onset of various diseases – and the ageing process. </p>
<p>Of course, changing your diet completely can be difficult. But even introducing some of the foods shown to increase longevity may still have some benefit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176494/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Diets high in legumes, whole grains, nuts and less red and processed meat were shown to be more beneficial for longevity.Laura Brown, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, Food, and Health Sciences, Teesside UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1141262019-03-26T11:08:10Z2019-03-26T11:08:10ZDoes eating two teaspoons of nuts really boost your brain function by 60%?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265659/original/file-20190325-36273-1nrl8a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/1302602134?size=medium_jpg">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dementia is a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/about/">cruel disease</a> that robs people of their memory, their judgement and their identity. Unfortunately, there is no cure, and in the past few years a number of clinical trials for new dementia drugs have <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32399-1/fulltext">failed</a> – the latest being Biogen’s drug <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biogen-shares-drop-28-after-ending-alzheimers-phase-3-trials-11553170765">aducanumab</a>. Without any effective treatments on the horizon, most people’s best hope is to avoid getting dementia in the first place. </p>
<p>One of the hallmarks of dementia is cognitive decline. There are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5360216/">several lifestyle changes</a> that may slow cognitive decline, such as doing mentally stimulating activities (crossword puzzles, learning a new language), getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a healthy diet – especially one low in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and sugar. </p>
<p>Of these, diet is a favourite among health reporters, perhaps because the message can be delivered clearly and succinctly. The latest such story comes from the <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/eating-two-teaspoons-nuts-day-14163363">Daily Mirror</a> which claims that eating just two teaspoons of nuts a day “boosts brain function by 60%”. If the claim is true, we should all be rushing out to buy a bag of nuts, but is this what the study actually says?</p>
<p>The article is based on an observational study published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12603-018-1122-5.pdf">Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging</a>. After assessing the diets of nearly 5,000 adults in China (aged 55 and older) over a period of nine years, the researchers found an inverse relationship between the amount of nuts people ate and the degree of cognitive decline they experienced. Those who consumed more than 10g of nuts and seeds a day were less likely to show a fall in their cognitive function compared with those who consumed less than 10g a day.</p>
<p>Out of the 4,822 participants in the study, 67% had their cognitive ability tested twice (only 16% were tested more than twice over the course of the study). Where more than one cognitive measurement was made, cognitive performance decreased over time, but people who ate more than 10g of nuts per day decreased the likelihood of this decline. Consequently, the results suggest that consuming two teaspoons of nuts per day may preserve cognitive performance and may lead to better cognitive ageing over a lifetime. The results do not show that eating nuts improves cognitive function, as the Mirror headline claimed.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265662/original/file-20190325-36244-1ru4waa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A certain amount of cognitive decline is inevitable with age.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/101520898?size=medium_jpg">Andrea Danti/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Limitations</h2>
<p>Participants in the study inevitably varied on a number of factors, including education, general health, nutritional intake and lifestyle factors, such as exercise. Although the way the data was analysed took those factors into account and still found an association, cognitive decline and dementia are strongly influenced by many environmental and genetic factors, and it is unlikely that consumption of one particular food is sufficient to ward off dementia.</p>
<p>Another weakness of this study is the fact that participants reported their nut consumption via a questionnaire. <a href="https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(15)00319-5/fulltext">Evidence shows</a> that self-reported food consumption should always be interpreted with caution.</p>
<p>Although <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/11/e016863">randomised controlled trials</a> indicate that eating nuts has an effect on blood flow (including to the brain), there isn’t enough evidence to draw conclusions about their impact on cognitive function. </p>
<p>What we can say at this point is that the evidence on nuts and cognitive decline is promising, but it isn’t strong enough to make nutritional recommendations. Simply consuming two teaspoons of nuts per day is unlikely to reduce your risk of dementia.</p>
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<p><em>More on evidence-based articles about diets:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-get-diabetes-from-eating-too-much-sugar-95833?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=IsItTrue">Do you get diabetes from eating too much sugar?</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/can-a-glass-of-milk-really-slash-your-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-101862?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=IsItTrue">Can a glass of milk really ‘slash’ your risk of type 2 diabetes?</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-frequent-dieting-makes-you-put-on-weight-and-what-to-do-about-it-69329?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=IsItTrue">Why frequent dieting makes you put on weight – and what to do about it</a></em></p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114126/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandra Sunram-Lea does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Nuts are a healthy part of any diet, but can they really make you smarter?Sandra Sunram-Lea, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1084912019-02-18T02:31:15Z2019-02-18T02:31:15ZHealth check: will eating nuts make you gain weight?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259180/original/file-20190214-1726-10qcw1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Nuts contain "good" fats.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we eat <a href="http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/frequently-asked-questions/general-nutrition/nuts-and-health">30g of nuts</a> – a small handful – each day. But many of us know nuts are high in calories and fat. </p>
<p>So should we be eating nuts or will they make us gain weight?</p>
<p>In short, the answer is yes, we should eat them, and no, they won’t make us gain weight if eaten in moderate amounts. The fats in nuts are mostly the “good” fats. And aside from that, our bodies don’t actually absorb all the fat found in nuts. But we do absorb the nutrients they provide.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-food-mistakes-to-avoid-if-youre-trying-to-lose-weight-103678">Five food mistakes to avoid if you're trying to lose weight</a>
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<h2>Dietary fat: friend or foe?</h2>
<p>Nuts do contain fat, and the amount of fat varies between nut types. For example, a 30g serving of raw cashews or pistachios contains around <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsbyfoodgroupsearch.aspx?foodGroupID=19&subFoodGroupID=80">15g of fat</a>, whereas the same amount of raw macadamias contains around <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsbyfoodgroupsearch.aspx?foodGroupID=19&subFoodGroupID=80">22g of fat</a>. </p>
<p>There are different kinds of fats in our diet and some are better for us than others. Nuts contain mainly <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsbyfoodgroupsearch.aspx?foodGroupID=19&subFoodGroupID=80">monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats</a>. These types of fats are known as “good fats”. They can help lower cholesterol when we eat them <a href="https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/nutrientrequirements/sfa_systematic_review/en/">in place of saturated fats</a>.</p>
<p>The type of fats present <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsbyfoodgroupsearch.aspx?foodGroupID=19&subFoodGroupID=80">varies between nuts</a>. For example, walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, whereas other types of nuts such as hazelnuts and macadamias have more monounsaturated fat. </p>
<h2>What the evidence says</h2>
<p>Even if the type of fat in nuts is good for us, they are still high in fat and calories. But this doesn’t mean we should be avoiding them to manage our weight. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898229">Studies</a> that looked at people’s eating habits and body weight over a long period have found people who regularly eat nuts tend to gain less weight over time than people who don’t.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259186/original/file-20190214-1726-1nfhafe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nuts are a healthier option for a snack than many processed alternatives.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We see a similar pattern in clinical studies that asked people to include nuts in their diets and then looked at the effects on body weight.</p>
<p>A review of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23595878">more than 30 studies</a> examined the effects of eating nuts on body weight. It did not find people who ate nuts had increased their body weight, body mass index (BMI), or waist circumference, compared to a control group of people who did not eat nuts.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27807041">one study</a> found that when people ate a pattern of food aimed at weight loss, the group of people who ate nuts lost more body fat than those who didn’t eat nuts.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/got-high-cholesterol-here-are-five-foods-to-eat-and-avoid-63941">Got high cholesterol? Here are five foods to eat and avoid</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Let’s nut this out</h2>
<p>There are several possible explanations for why eating nuts doesn’t seem to lead to weight gain.</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>We don’t absorb all of the fat in nuts:</strong> The fat in nuts is stored in the nut’s cell walls, which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25351860">don’t easily break down</a> during digestion. As a result, when we eat nuts, we don’t absorb all of the fat. Some of the fat instead is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15321799">passed out in our faeces</a>. The amount of calories we absorb from eating nuts might be between <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21733319">5%</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26581681">30%</a> less that what we had previously thought.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Nuts increase the amount of calories we burn:</strong> Not only do we not absorb all the calories in nuts, but eating nuts may also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19010571">increase the amount</a> of energy and fat we burn. It’s thought this may partially be explained by the protein and unsaturated fats in nuts, although we don’t yet know exactly how this occurs. Increases in the number of calories burnt can help us maintain or lose weight.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Nuts help us feel full for longer:</strong> As well as fat, nuts are rich in protein and fibre. So, nuts help to keep us <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25182142">feeling full</a> after we eat them, meaning we’re likely to eat less at later meals. Recent studies have also suggested providing people with nuts helps <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26688734">improve the overall quality</a> of the types of foods they eat. This may be because nuts replace “junk foods” as snacks.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>People who eat nuts have healthier lifestyles in general:</strong> We can’t rule out the idea that eating nuts is just a sign of a healthier lifestyle. However, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25182142">randomised controlled trials</a>, which can control for lifestyle factors like eating habits, still find no negative effect on body weight when people eat nuts. This means the favourable effects of nuts are not just the result of nut eaters having healthier lifestyles – the nuts themselves play a role.</p></li>
</ol>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-improve-your-mood-its-time-to-ditch-the-junk-food-107358">Want to improve your mood? It's time to ditch the junk food</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Overall, the evidence suggests nuts are a healthy snack that can provide us with many of the nutrients our bodies need. We can confidently include the recommended 30g of nuts a day in a healthy diet, without worrying about the effect they will have on our waistlines.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Neale receives funding from Nuts for Life, California Walnut Commission, International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute. She is affiliated with the University of Wollongong and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sze-Yen Tan was involved in clinical studies that were funded by the Almond Board of California and Californian Walnut Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yasmine Probst receives funding from the NSW Ministry of Health, Australian Eggs, Nuts for Life, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute and the University of Wollongong Health Impacts Research Cluster. She is affiliated with the University of Wollongong and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute. </span></em></p>Nuts do contain fat, but the evidence shows they won’t make us gain weight if eaten in moderation. We have a few theories as to why this might be.Elizabeth Neale, Career Development Fellow (Lecturer), University of WollongongSze-Yen Tan, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition Science, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin UniversityYasmine Probst, Senior lecturer, School of Medicine, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1007952018-07-31T10:41:45Z2018-07-31T10:41:45ZAmerican farmers want trade partners not handouts – an agricultural economist explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229869/original/file-20180730-106517-rpoxh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Farmer Michael Petefish walks through one of his soybean fields in southern Minnesota.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/China-Tariffs-Farmers-Hope-for-Truce/2fe66a14c3824e049a2d536c4750d0e7/25/0">AP Photo/Jim Mone</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/us/politics/farmers-aid-trade-war.html">plans to give</a> American farmers and ranchers hurt by the current trade war US$12 billion in emergency relief to mitigate the impact of tariffs on their exports. </p>
<p>While this may lessen the blow of an <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/highlights-from-the-farm-income-forecast/">already struggling agricultural economy</a> in the short run, it is only a Band-Aid. As an <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rToS2UYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">agricultural economist</a>, I know that no one really wins in a trade war. As someone who grew up on a cotton and alfalfa farm in rural Arizona, I know firsthand that producers want access to markets – not government handouts. </p>
<p>If the <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/trade-wars-50746">trade conflict</a> with China continues much longer, it will likely leave lasting scars on the entire agricultural sector as well as the overall U.S. economy. </p>
<h2>A tit-for-tat trade war</h2>
<p>How did we get here? </p>
<p>In January, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/01/22/trump-imposes-tariffs-on-solar-panels-and-washing-machines-in-first-major-trade-action/?utm_term=.911baac43055">placed tariffs</a> on Chinese solar panels and washing machines to protect U.S. manufacturers. It <a href="https://piie.com/blogs/trade-investment-policy-watch/trump-trade-war-china-date-guide">followed</a> that in March with tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum – citing national security concerns. Though many countries were subsequently exempted from the U.S. import tariffs on steel and aluminum, China <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/us/politics/trump-will-hit-china-with-trade-measures-as-white-house-exempts-allies-from-tariffs.html">was the primary target</a>. </p>
<p>China <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/01/china-announces-new-tariffs-on-us-meat-and-fruit-amid-trade-war-fears.html">responded</a> by imposing tariffs on U.S. exports worth $3 billion in April as countermeasures to U.S. tariffs. Another <a href="https://www.cmtradelaw.com/2018/04/section-301-update-ustr-releases-proposed-tariffs-on-chinese-products-china-publishes-retaliatory-list/">round of U.S. duties</a> on Chinese products prompted additional retaliation from China in July on $34 billion worth of U.S. goods, furthering a <a href="https://piie.com/system/files/documents/trump-trade-war-timeline.pdf">tit-for-tat trade conflict</a> with <a href="https://ig.ft.com/us-china-tariffs">no end in sight</a>. </p>
<p>China is the <a href="https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/ExpressQuery1.aspx">second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture</a> behind Canada, which means it’s no surprise that such goods made up the <a href="https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/China%20Imposes%20Additional%20Tariffs%20on%20Selected%20U.S.-Origin%20Products_Beijing_China%20-%20Peoples%20Republic%20of_4-2-2018.pdf">vast majority</a> of the more than 600 products that have been <a href="https://www.uschina.org/sites/default/files/list_of_chinese_retaliatory_tariffs_on_the_united_states_-_june_15_2018.pdf">targeted</a> by China with tariffs of 15 percent to 25 percent in two rounds of retaliation. Among them are cotton, wheat, dairy, wine, fruits, nuts, soybeans and pork – to name just a few.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229914/original/file-20180731-102485-reiwii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">National Pork Board 2016 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year Brad Greenway and his wife, Peggy Greenway, feed pigs in one of their wean-to-finish pig barns on their farm in Mitchell, South Dakota.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Images for National Pork Board/Jay Pickthorn</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Caught in the crossfire</h2>
<p>Since China’s tariffs only recently took effect and more retaliation could happen, it’s still too early to fully understand the potential damage. But U.S. farmers and ranchers are bracing for the worst. </p>
<p>For example, China is the <a href="https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/hs92/1201/">world’s largest consumer of soybeans</a>, gobbling up about 65 percent of all trade of the commodity. The Chinese bought more than $12 billion in American soybeans in 2017, or 57 percent of all U.S. exports of the crop.</p>
<p>Thanks to the 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans, Chinese importers <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-soybeans-china/u-s-soybean-exports-scrapped-as-china-shifts-to-brazilian-beans-idUSKCN1IJ2SG">have been canceling</a> contracts with American farmers for later in the year and buying more from Brazil – which <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-soy-usa/brazil-to-pass-u-s-as-worlds-largest-soy-producer-in-2018-idUSKBN1IC2IW">is expected</a> to soon be the world’s top soybean producer.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=880&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=880&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=880&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1106&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1106&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229873/original/file-20180730-106517-1gxbe6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1106&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A soybean plant blossoms on a farm in Renfrew, Pennsylvania.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Soybean-Plants-Blossom/9dc717b95ede43e09a03d9a33ab40e65/13/0">AP Photo/Keith Srakocic</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="http://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/theme-articles/us-china-trade-dispute-and-potential-impacts-to-agriculture/impacts-of-possible-chinese-25-tariff-on-us-soybeans-and-other-agricultural-commodities">recent study</a> suggests that if the tariffs stay in place, U.S. exports of soybeans could fall 24 percent to 34 percent, while production could decline 11 percent to 15 percent. </p>
<p>The extent of the impact depends on whether U.S. soybean farmers are able to find new markets for their crops. In addition, because China consumes so many soybeans – which it primarily uses for livestock feed – it probably can’t cut out U.S. producers entirely. Chinese importers will simply have to pay more for U.S.-sourced soybeans to meet domestic demand. </p>
<p>The pork industry, which <a href="https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/China%20Imposes%20Additional%20Tariffs%20on%20Selected%20U.S.-Origin%20Products_Beijing_China%20-%20Peoples%20Republic%20of_4-2-2018.pdf">was already subject</a> to tariffs before the trade war began, has been especially hard hit. After successive rounds of tariffs, U.S. pork is now subject to Chinese duties of as high as 70 percent. </p>
<p>Pork sales to China <a href="https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx">account for 10 percent of total U.S. exports</a> of that product category. Since China already produces about 97 percent of the pork it consumes, it should be relatively easy for the Chinese to simply substitute domestic and other foreign production for the U.S. imports. </p>
<p>While many U.S. pork producers may be able to find new markets for their goods, that probably won’t be the case for offal, which are pig parts such as organs and entrails. Chinese consumers <a href="https://www.eater.com/2015/6/16/8786827/where-to-find-offal-organ-meat-international-cuisine">consider offal a delicacy</a>, while it is just used an input for pet food in the U.S. The tariffs <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-pork/trade-war-puts-the-hoof-into-u-s-pig-part-exports-to-china-idUSKBN1K71EA">have already eroded</a> U.S. exports of pig parts to China.</p>
<p>Some of my own research focuses on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12029">Chinese demand for Western wine</a> and how retaliatory tariffs <a href="http://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/theme-articles/us-china-trade-dispute-and-potential-impacts-to-agriculture/chinese-trade-retaliation-may-diminish-us-wine-export-potential">could hurt</a> the U.S. wine industry, which sees China as a very important growth market at a time when others are stagnating. My collaborator and I estimate that the new 15 percent tariff on American wine could cause a 10 percent drop in imports to China. </p>
<p>If the trade war escalates, the harm could get even worse. For example, China <a href="https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx">is the biggest buyer</a> of U.S. exports of animal hides – which haven’t yet been hit by retaliatory tariffs but could be in another round. And the impact is being felt across the U.S., with <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2018/04/09/how-chinas-tariffs-could-affect-u-s-workers-and-industries/">at least some workers</a> in pretty much every state affected by agricultural and other tariffs. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229871/original/file-20180730-106517-1kvpwvf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cotton farmers are also worried about losing access to the Chinese market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Cotton-Mississippi/07672337150e4b4eac73bdbfbb5de464/8/0">AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Trade conflict’s long-term impact</h2>
<p>The consequences of a prolonged trade war could be severe for U.S. agricultural producers. </p>
<p>As the tariffs make the cost of U.S. crops and meat go up for Chinese customers, <a href="http://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/theme-articles/us-china-trade-dispute-and-potential-impacts-to-agriculture/impacts-of-possible-chinese-25-tariff-on-us-soybeans-and-other-agricultural-commodities">they’ll begin to import</a> products that are relatively cheaper from other countries such as Brazil.</p>
<p>China might also drive up their own domestic production of certain products – such as pork – thus depriving American farmers of the export market. Or in the case of wine, U.S. producers were already at a disadvantage to their French and Australian rivals. A prolonged trade dispute could limit American winemakers’ exports to a promising market. </p>
<p>If American agricultural producers can’t increase exports to other countries to make up for lost sales to China, farm incomes would most certainly fall. And even if they do manage to find new markets, perhaps with the help of the new government aid package, it’ll be hard to make up for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/04/china-biggest-grocery-market-world">world’s largest market</a> for food imports.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229872/original/file-20180730-106502-1bu02ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Brazil is the world’s second-largest soy producer after the U.S., which may soon change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Latin-America-Economy-Finance/1a5605d06bd94d86ba0c3bffff55f564/5/0">AP Photo/Andre Penner</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Will the aid help?</h2>
<p>As for the Trump administration’s promised aid package, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on July 24 that it would divide $12 billion <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/07/24/usda-assists-farmers-impacted-unjustified-retaliation">among three programs</a> that will: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>provide payments to producers of soybeans, sorghum, corn, wheat, cotton, dairy and hogs</p></li>
<li><p>purchase surplus commodities such as fruits, nuts, rice, legumes, beef, pork and milk for distribution to food banks and other nutrition programs</p></li>
<li><p>develop new export markets for farm products. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>While key details about the aid package still need to be worked out, fundamentally it is an attempt by the administration to soften the blow of how other countries are responding to its protectionist trade policies. It may provide some short-term relief for U.S. farmers and ranchers at a time when net farm incomes are at a <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/farm-sector-income-forecast/">12-year low</a>. The effort is futile, however, if the trade conflict is not resolved soon because of the lasting damage to trade relationships. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the aid package may violate U.S. commitments to the World Trade Organization, adding to the <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/good_23mar18_e.htm">list</a> of <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/good_28mar18_e.htm">concerns</a> of <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/good_03jul18_e.htm">potential</a> <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/ds548_550rfc_06jun18_e.htm">violations</a> of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/rules-based-trade-made-the-world-rich-trumps-policies-may-make-it-poorer-97896">rules-based trading system</a> the U.S. has agreed to adhere to. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229870/original/file-20180730-106521-7aeg2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Farmers testify before the House Subcommittee on Trade about the effect of foreign tariffs on American agriculture.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Congress-Trade/395fb792801b41b4a55c5b0ebb821ad4/30/0">AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Damage to a market</h2>
<p>In the last decade, China has become an incredibly important market for American agriculture. U.S. producers would like to not only maintain, but grow China as a market, given its large consumer base and rising incomes, which afford increasing per capita consumption and demand for U.S. agricultural products. </p>
<p>In my experience as an economist rooted in agriculture, U.S. farmers and ranchers prefer to be able to sell their goods to consumers around the world rather than receive government aid because of a trade war in which they’ve been caught in the crossfire. They want their government to help them find more consumers, not turn them away.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100795/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda M. Countryman has received funding from the United States Department of Agriculture.
</span></em></p>The Trump administration’s promise of $12 billion in aid to offset losses from retaliatory tariffs will not make up for the long-term consequences of a prolonged trade war.Amanda M. Countryman, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/949042018-05-23T02:18:00Z2018-05-23T02:18:00ZThe farmer wants a hive: inside the world of renting bees<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219889/original/file-20180522-51121-1kfym59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A bee visits an almond flower – an essential process for almond farmers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tiago J. G. Fernandez/Wikimedia Commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almonds, blueberries, apples, melons – all of these fruits, and many more, rely on insect pollination. Some crops rely more on pollinators than others. Insect pollination isn’t just about the number of fruits produced – it can also improve the quality of the yield. For example, self-pollinated flowers may produce a fruit, but it might be very small or misshapen. </p>
<p>So how do farmers make sure their crops will produce enough fruit to make a profit? Crops in most parts of Australia have one main blooming period, usually in spring or early summer. The window for pollination usually lasts two to four weeks, depending on the crop. During that time, insects need to be flying around visiting flowers to feed on pollen and nectar to ensure that pollination happens. </p>
<p>To optimise yields, most growers rent European honeybee hives during crop flowering season. Honeybees were first introduced to Australia from Europe in the early 1800s. Today, the beekeeping industry includes around 600,000 managed hives and is worth around A$100 million to Australia’s economy. But it’s not just about honey and beeswax products. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-bees-the-buzz-on-our-other-vital-insect-helpers-52373">Not just bees: the buzz on our other vital insect helpers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Managed crop pollination services have become big business in many parts of the world, including Australia. Although most beekeepers do still keep bee hives to produce honey or wax products, paid pollination services are becoming increasingly important to the industry. </p>
<p>In Australia, the almond industry is one of the biggest renters of honeybee hives for pollination. Almonds bloom for a few weeks at the end of August and rely almost completely on insect pollination to produce harvestable almond fruits. The many plantations across northwestern Victoria rent <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-08-19/bees-and-almonds/7765408">more than 150,000 hives each year</a>, costing millions of dollars in rental fees. <a href="http://aussiepollination.com.au/index.php/ct-menu-item-16/ct-menu-item-20">Costs per hive vary depending on the crop</a>, covering costs to the beekeeper such as how far they have to travel, the time of year (early season pollination can be more stressful for honey bees and require more feeding costs for beekeepers to maintain hive health), and the risks (e.g. chemicals) bees might face in the crop. For almond pollination, one hive can cost around $70-100 to rent.</p>
<h2>The journey</h2>
<p>Some growers rent hives by contacting individual beekeepers directly. But many corporate growers will hire a pollination broker as a go-between to organise the complex logistics of trucking thousands of beehives from interstate to be there at just the right time. Delivering bees too early or too late can impact the health of the honeybee colonies, or result in lower crop yields.</p>
<p>The beekeeper and grower usually sign a <a href="http://beeaware.org.au/pollination/pollination-agreements/">pollination agreement</a>, in case there are any problems. For example, a beekeeper can specify that the grower should not spray pesticides that can damage the colony’s health while the hives are in place.</p>
<p>Honeybees naturally return to their colony at night, as they rely on daylight and warmth to forage. This makes it easier for beekeepers to transport hives when needed. At night, when all the bees are at home, hive entrances can be shut off to stop them escaping during the journey. </p>
<p>Beekeepers load their hives onto a truck and drive thousands of kilometres to the plantations. They leave their hives dotted throughout the plantation just as bloom is starting, and return to collect them at the end of flowering. </p>
<p>Because beekeepers collect their hives at night, it’s unlikely that many bees are left behind. If an individual does get lost, it won’t survive long on its own, as individual honeybees rely on the colony to stay alive.</p>
<p>Alternatively, crop growers can buy their own hives and set them up permanently, eliminating the cost of rental and reducing the pressure on honeybees used for pollination services. However, this comes at its own cost. Growers need to maintain the beehives themselves or hire a beekeeper to do it. </p>
<p>Many small-scale growers do this really well, and diversify their business with another product (honey). But the practice is less economical for larger-scale growers.</p>
<p>Native stingless bee species are another option for some growers. These bees live in colonies and make honey, just like the introduced honeybee, and can also be managed as pollinators. </p>
<p>There is a growing <a href="http://www.sugarbag.net/">stingless bee pollination industry</a> in eastern Australia supplying rented stingless bee colonies to crops. However, these bees aren’t naturally found throughout much of the southern and inland parts of Australia, where conditions are less suitable for them. There is lots more research to do to understand the full potential of using stingless bees on a larger scale. For example, we need more data on how these native bees improve fruit set in a variety of commercial crops, and we need greater understanding of how transporting stingless bees to regions outside their natural range for pollination services might affect colony health. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/losing-bees-will-sting-more-than-just-our-taste-for-honey-42765">Losing bees will sting more than just our taste for honey</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There are also <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-bees-the-buzz-on-our-other-vital-insect-helpers-52373">thousands of native pollinators</a> in Australia, including around 2,000 native bee species and thousands of flies, wasps, butterflies and other insects. We already know many of these are capable of pollinating our major crops, including almonds. This means they are providing pollination services for free. Some can be more effective crop pollinators than honeybees.</p>
<p>But we still know very little about these wild pollinators. In particular, some of the ways we manage our agricultural landscapes, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/single-crop-farming-is-leaving-wildlife-with-no-room-to-turn-38991">broad-scale monocultures</a>, habitat clearing and overuse of pesticides, can have damaging effects on pollinator populations.</p>
<p>Most crops benefit from a variety of insect pollinators, not one single type. It’s financially and environmentally risky to rely on a single bee species for all our food production. Ideally, we need to build understanding of how to manage landscapes sustainably to support multiple pollinators.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94904/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Manu Saunders does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many fruits, nuts and other crops rely on bees to pollinate their flowers at just the right time of year. Many farmers rent bees to get the job done at pollination time.Manu Saunders, Research fellow, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/947802018-04-19T09:07:51Z2018-04-19T09:07:51ZAvoiding type 2 diabetes – there is more than one diet to choose from<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214773/original/file-20180413-47416-bjkq7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/531173668?src=TXTGCIo5xv1Wi72RhrHnnA-1-0&size=medium_jpg">Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you have high blood glucose, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes (so-called <a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/prediabetes-whats-it-all-about">prediabetes</a>) you may have been advised by your doctor to <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dpp-service-spec-aug16.pdf">lose weight and to eat less fat and more fibre</a>. If this sounds a bit one-size-fits-all, you may be encouraged by the fact that other diets may work just as well, if not better, at warding off full-blown <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/">type 2 diabetes</a>.</p>
<p>The advice to eat less fat, more fibre and lose a moderate amount of weight comes from a series of <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/23f2/141bd0df4eeeb98a904c1cf54df0ae7fb4d6.pdf">large-scale, randomised controlled trials</a> showing that weight loss following this approach helps prevent type 2 diabetes in up to two thirds of people. However, the most important predictor of prevention in these trials was not the diet itself, but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16936160">the weight loss</a>. The more weight a person loses, the lower their risk of type 2 diabetes. Even more exciting, weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23451166">even if the person regains the weight</a>. </p>
<p>So what diets could be equally or more effective than a low-fat, high-fibre diet? Low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to produce <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/409791">more weight loss in the short-term</a>. If weight loss is the primary driver of type 2 diabetes prevention, then a well-formulated low-carbohydrate diet (high in non-starch vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds) would probably be as effective as the current standard advice.</p>
<p>There is also growing evidence that adding protein to the diet may help <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044731">control blood glucose levels</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27765690">lower liver fat</a> (strongly linked to insulin resistance) and even help the <a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/7/1919">pancreas produce insulin</a>. The latter point is important because when a person has prediabetes, they lose the first-phase insulin response. This is the <a href="https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/483307_2">rapid spike of insulin</a> that is produced as soon as blood glucose level rises. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214768/original/file-20180413-566-1mups.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">High protein seems to help control blood glucose levels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/684710068?src=wU-meNy0P_90U0NTr6OwDA-1-0&size=medium_jpg">Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The first-phase insulin response is a critical function that rapidly suppresses glucose release from the liver. It also encourages glucose to be taken up by the muscles after you eat. Without it, hyperglycaemia results and glucose stays <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC507316/">elevated for several hours after the meal</a>. Emerging evidence seems to indicate the protein somehow seems to help the pancreas increase this initial insulin spike. Small but promising trials suggest that increasing protein may be <a href="http://drc.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000258">better than a low-protein diet</a> at controlling blood glucose levels. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="http://www.directclinicaltrial.org.uk/">large clinical trial</a> (DiRECT), as well as a series of smaller <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749351/">physiologial trials</a>, have shown that people with type 2 diabetes who rapidly lose a lot of weight are able to restore the first-phase insulin response. The effect seems to be greatest in people who haven’t had <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27002059">type 2 diabetes for long</a>. This suggests that the effect would be greater still in people with prediabetes. </p>
<p>The reduction in calories consumed seems to be an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8077323">independent driver</a> of improved pancreatic function. In studies where people consume only 400kcal a day for seven days, the weight loss is minimal, but pancreatic function <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/95/3/609/4578299">seems to improve just the same</a>. </p>
<h2>More choice</h2>
<p>A recent large <a href="http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/1/14">study</a> from Spain (PREDIMED) showed that a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil and added nuts helped prevent type 2 diabetes even though people did not lose weight. We don’t know for sure how extra virgin olive oil or nuts could help prevent type 2 diabetes, but there is a growing body of research suggesting that a group of compounds called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28883903">polyphenols</a> found in these foods (and also coffee, tea, berries and red wine) have a variety of beneficial health effects. <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11101-015-9429-x.pdf">Potentially</a> these polyphenols may help reduce the inflammation that can damage the pancreatic cells and cause insulin resistance. </p>
<p>The “best” diet is, of course, one that a person enjoys and fits with their lifestyle. So the dietary approaches above may not only be more effective than a low-fat, high-fibre diet (and this should be tested in large-scale trials), but would provide more choice for people looking to stop their prediabetes morphing into type 2 diabetes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94780/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicola Guess does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Official advice to prediabetics on the best diet to avoid type 2 diabetes suggests that there is only one option. The latest research suggests otherwise.Nicola Guess, Lecturer, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/847642017-11-05T23:37:07Z2017-11-05T23:37:07ZThese foods will lower your risk of heart disease<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192856/original/file-20171101-19867-1unjwzx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The evidence shows that both low and high fat diets can reduce your risks of cardiovascular disease -- if they are plant-based. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Low-fat or low-carb? Butter or margarine? Avocado oil or coconut oil? Bombarded with contradictory media reports on the ever-changing landscape of nutrition research, it’s difficult for anyone to know which fats and other foods they should eat, and in what quantities. </p>
<p>We know that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/">No. 1 cause of death globally</a> and a <a href="http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=1020529">leading cause of death in Canada</a>. We also know that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19667296">80 per cent of chronic disease could be alleviated</a> by following a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise. </p>
<p>In an effort to follow a healthy diet, it’s easy to focus on individual nutrients. This serves us well for preventing nutrient deficiencies (<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155758.php">think Vitamin C and scurvy</a>). It doesn’t work so well as a strategy for avoiding chronic disease. </p>
<p>We eat food — ideally three to six times per day — not individual nutrients. So, when it comes to fats, we really need to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/186365">focus on dietary patterns</a>.</p>
<h2>Fats and cardiovascular disease</h2>
<p>There have been many studies looking at diet and its impact on the heart. When the scientific community has examined the link between saturated fat (in butter, meat fat, chicken skin and high-fat dairy products) and risk for cardiovascular disease, conflicting findings have emerged. </p>
<p>One review of the evidence showed that saturated fat has <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.27725">no relationship with CVD</a>. However, this research didn’t consider what nutrient replaced saturated fat. Another review of the evidence demonstrated that the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4593072/">risk for CVD varies depending on what nutrient replaces the saturated fat.</a></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192854/original/file-20171101-19853-1rs0t1i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The best fats for our body come from fish, nuts, healthy oils and seeds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When you eat trans fat — found in donuts and other store-bought baked goods, deep-fried foods, partially hydrogenated oils and vegetable oil shortening — instead of saturated fat, your risks of CVD increase. However, if you eat unsaturated fats — oils that are liquid at room temperature, especially polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish, and carbohydrates from whole grains —instead of saturated fats, your risk of CVD decreases. </p>
<p>Whether you eat mostly saturated fats or sugar and refined starches (such as white rice, white bread and processed cereal) doesn’t appear to matter when it comes to heart disease. According to this research, the risks are about equal. </p>
<h2>Coconut oil or olive oil?</h2>
<p>The effects of coconut oil as a replacement for other dietary fats, such as butter, olive oil and canola oil, <a href="https://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/fat-in-food/fat-in-food-the-truth-about-coconut-oil/">have not been studied for the effects on CVD</a>. The impact of coconut oil on heart disease risk remains unknown. </p>
<p>We do know, however, that <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuw002">coconut oil raises some risk <em>factors</em> for CVD</a> — it increases cholesterol compared to polyunsaturated fats (in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish) that lower cholesterol.</p>
<p>Olive oil, on the other hand, when consumed as part of the high-fat “predimed diet pattern” (PDP) referenced below, has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. It’s important, then, to look at dietary patterns rather than individual fats.</p>
<h2>Plant-based diets are best</h2>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/health/western-diet-health/index.html">western diet pattern</a> includes sugar-sweetened beverages (pop, flavoured juice and coffee drinks), refined carbohydrates (commercially baked goods like muffins and doughnuts which are sources of trans fat), processed meats (salami, pepperoni and bacon) and combination foods (for instance pepperoni pizza and bacon cheese burgers). </p>
<p>Unfortunately, Canadians are consuming <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4042566/">sugar</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916364">trans fat</a> and <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2238025/cut-the-crap-heart-and-stroke-foundations-advice-to-canadians/">processed foods</a> in quantities that have been shown <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2608221?utm_campaign=articlePDFlink&utm_source=articlePDF&utm_content=jama.2017.0947">to increase CVD risk</a>.</p>
<p>There is substantial evidence that a <a href="https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets/mediterranean-diet">Mediterranean diet</a> pattern (MDP) reduces cardiovascular disease. This involves eating plant foods — vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes and olive oil — plus fish and a moderate amount of wine. Meat, butter, cream, sugar-sweetened beverages and commercial baked goods are eaten in limited quantities. </p>
<p>Men with heart disease in the <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/circulationaha/99/6/779.full.pdf">Lyon Diet Heart Study</a> following the Mediterranean diet had a 30 per cent reduction in secondary heart events. Participants following the pridimed diet had a <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303#t=article">30 per cent reduction</a> in the primary prevention of CVD. The diet plans are similar and are high in fat from additional nuts or olive oil. </p>
<p>Vegetarian diet patterns are mostly plant-based, but can include small amounts of animal foods, such as dairy products, eggs and fish. Communities known for their longevity and low incidence of heart disease include Sardinia in Italy, Icaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan and Loma Linda in California. These so-called “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone">blue zones</a>” all follow healthy lifestyles including vegetarian diets. Their staples are vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes and nuts and may include fish. Meat is consumed only on special occasions. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192861/original/file-20171101-19867-1sb1g34.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traditional fish market stall full of fresh red gurnard fish and orata — at Mercato di San Benedetto in Cagliari, Sardinia in March 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When combined with intensive exercise, another plant-based diet followed in the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/188274">Lifestyle Heart Trial</a> demonstrated reversal of heart disease. This was a very low-fat vegetarian diet (with fat accounting for only 10 per cent of total calories) that consisted of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes with small amounts of non-fat dairy products.</p>
<p>In these diet patterns, fat content ranges from 10 per cent to 40 per cent of total calories. This shows that both low-fat and high-fat diets lower risks of CVD — if they are plant-based.</p>
<h2>Eat cruciferous veg and citrus fruits</h2>
<p>We should all be eating five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw319">five servings of vegetables and fruit per day are protective against CVD, but 10 servings of vegetables and fruit per day lower heart disease risk by 24 per cent</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192851/original/file-20171101-19883-1ojo22z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">shutterstock.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One serving is equivalent to a medium-sized fruit, a half-cup of chopped fruit or berries, a quarter-cup of dried fruit, a half-cup of cooked or raw vegetables and one cup of salad greens. About <a href="https://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2012001/article/11661-eng.htm">40 per cent of Canadians over the age of 12 consume at least five servings of vegetables and fruit per day</a>.</p>
<p>Cruciferous vegetables — such as broccoli, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, spinach and kale — along with beta-carotene-rich fruits and veggies like tomatoes, carrots and squash demonstrate the most benefit. As do apples, pears, berries and citrus fruit like oranges.</p>
<h2>Serve up whole grains and legumes</h2>
<p>We should also be eating at least three servings per day of whole grains. The research shows this <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27301975">lowers CVD risk by 19 per cent</a>. </p>
<p>What’s a serving? It can be one slice of whole grain bread, half a slice of whole grain pita bread, one bowl of cereal, one third of a cup of cooked grains like barley, bulgur, brown rice and quinoa or half a cup of cooked whole grain pasta or corn.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/192849/original/file-20171101-19845-1ffd841.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">shutterstock.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Legumes also reduce our risk of heart disease. The research shows that four servings of legumes per week <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144102/">lower CVD risk by 14 per cent</a>.</p>
<p>We should be eating three to four servings per week — of black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, navy beans, soy beans, lentils or dried peas. One serving is measured as three quarters of a cup of cooked legumes.</p>
<h2>Healthy fats in fish, nuts, seeds and oils</h2>
<p>Finally, back to the fats. We can obtain the good fats our body needs by eating fish, nuts, oils and seeds. </p>
<p>Eating fish at least two to four times per week <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980011002254">reduces CVD risk by 17 per cent</a>, according to research. One serving of fish is defined as three ounces of cooked salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, halibut and other fish.</p>
<p>Eating at least three servings of nuts per week is a good idea. Just one quarter cup of nuts consumed four times weekly <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/1/278.long">reduces CVD by a whopping 24 per cent</a>, according to research. One serving of nuts is defined as one quarter cup of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, peanuts or pistachios. Or two tablespoons of natural almond, cashew or peanut butter. </p>
<p>Seeds — such as pumpkin, flax, chia, sunflower and sesame seeds — and butters made from sesame and sunflower seeds <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.001119">also lower CVD risk</a>. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil and soybean oils <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.055">all lower CVD risk</a> as do avocados, which <a href="http://www.fasebj.org/content/31/1_Supplement/789.13.short">improve your cholesterol profile</a>.</p>
<p>Enjoy minimally processed plant foods from nature most of the time. They are better for us. And, as a bonus - eating them is <a href="http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/how-eating-more-plant-based-foods-benefits-the-environment/">better for the planet</a> too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84764/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Mornin received funding from St. Paul's Hospital research challenge fund. </span></em></p>From donuts to avocados, food impacts your heart health. Here we delve into the science of how to eat – to reduce your chances of cardiovascular disease.Karen Mornin, Clinical Instructor of Land and Food Systems, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/861062017-10-24T12:52:58Z2017-10-24T12:52:58ZBrazil nuts are rocketing in price – here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191590/original/file-20171024-30583-ps79m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brazil_nuts.jpg">Quadell</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sometimes the price of certain foods rise suddenly and exponentially. For example, earlier this year it was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/03/tip-of-the-iceberg-lettuce-rationing-broadens-to-broccoli-and-cabbage">iceberg lettuce, broccoli and courgettes</a> in the UK, while in the US and Canada it was <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/cauliflower-cost-more-this-christmas-1.3370301">cauliflowers and lettuce</a>, and more recently there have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/12/avocado-uk-further-price-rises-demand-china-harvest-mexico-peru-us">sharp rises in the price of avocados</a>. And it may only be a matter of time until we hear about an increase in the price of wine from France and Italy as a result of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/25/france-faces-worst-wine-grape-harvest-since-1945">poor grape harvest in 2017</a>.</p>
<p>Currently spiking in price are Brazil nuts: the price of the nuts <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/507ca0aa-397a-11e7-821a-6027b8a20f23">rose 61% during the middle of 2017</a>. Is this another example of price volatility that consumers will have to get used to, or are Brazil nuts a special case?</p>
<h2>Factors affecting supply</h2>
<p>Brazil nuts are harvested from the Brazil nut tree that grows only in <a href="http://www.globaltrading.nl/news-cat/brazilnuts/">specific Amazon rainforest locations</a> in key producing regions in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. The industry within each country differs to a certain extent, but the basic principles of collection and production are very similar. The nuts are collected by groups of foragers from December until May, who travel into the rainforest to collect the <em>cocos</em> (pods) containing the nuts that have dropped from the tree. The harvested nuts are then supplied to intermediaries who sell them on. </p>
<p>There are several aspects of this supply chain that are specific to the Brazil nut industry and which can cause problems. They are often found in remote locations, and require at least 12 years growth before they yield any nuts. The trees can grow to at least 50 metres tall, and successful pollination is dependent on specific type of bee.</p>
<p>Why the sudden spike in prices? Quite simply, it was because of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/aug/03/study-finds-human-influence-in-the-amazons-third-1-in-100-year-drought-since-2005">drought in the Amazon</a> brought about by the cyclical El Niño weather pattern that affects the entire Pacific region. A lack of rainfall means that the <em>cocos</em> drop from the trees earlier in the season, resulting in fewer and smaller kernels, which compromises supply of the full-size nuts the market seeks. In fact, the extent of the supply shortfall is such that Brazil has become a net importer of Brazil nuts, which in turn only further exacerbates the global scarcity of the nuts, pushing up prices.</p>
<h2>Rising consumer demand</h2>
<p>While this is a compelling supply-side story to explain the recent increase in price, this is not the only reason. There has also been a rapid increase in demand for nuts, as they have attracted the attention of health conscious consumers. Nuts are in demand as part of a healthy diet, and some have gained a reputation as “superfoods”. Brazil nuts, for example, are an <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/">excellent source of selenium</a>, which is good for the skin, and can be consumed as part of a gluten-free and vegetarian diet, which would exclude other sources of selnium in whole grains or meats.</p>
<p>If the price of Brazil nuts remains relatively high we may see manufacturers substitute these nuts with others in products that feature them – as is the case with <a href="http://www.eatnatural.co.uk/stories/brazil-harvest">Eat Natural bars</a>, the wrappers of which <a href="http://www.eatnatural.co.uk/bars/almond-sultana-with-peanuts-and-apricots">currently mention the Brazil nut harvest failure</a> and a temporary change of ingredients. Will consumers be prepared to accept this type of substitution?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=220&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=220&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=220&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191595/original/file-20171024-30605-1a0x952.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some manufacturers have been up-front about substituting other nuts for Brazils due to the cost.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.eatnatural.co.uk/bars/almond-sultana-with-peanuts-and-apricots">Eat Natural</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Is this a special case?</h2>
<p>Almost certainly some commodities, in any given market, are going to be subject to situations where prices appear to increase out of line with expectations. But in many cases the reasons that cause these price events are short lived and nothing out of the ordinary as far as agricultural production is concerned. In the case of Brazil nuts the drought in the Amazon is another example of a weather event causing disruption to supply, occurring at the same time as strong demand brought about by changing consumer preferences.</p>
<p>Such price movements may be shorter - or longer-lived. The recent shortage of courgettes and lettuce is already forgotten by most people. The speed with which new supply can be grown and harvested dictates how markets respond to demand. Similarly, there may well be a significant growth in Brazil nut supply in 2018 if the weather and growing conditions change back to their suitable baseline before El Niño.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=946&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=946&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191598/original/file-20171024-30558-1axrzpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=946&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">FAO Food Price Index for 2014-2017, showing prices creeping up through 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en">FAO</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>If we consider food price indices more generally, such as <a href="http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/">those published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Agency</a>, we can see that global commodity prices have in fact been lower throughout 2017 compared to the period 2007–2008, which saw very rapid price increases for cereals and rice. It has been argued that at the root of these price rises was poor policy-making decisions, such as <a href="https://www.iisd.org/gsi/news/global-food-prices-and-increased-biofuel-production-overview-food-vs-fuel-debate">incentives to encourage growing biofuels</a> rather than crops for human consumption, leading to under-supply and consequent price spikes observed during that period.</p>
<p>The relative strength of a currency has an impact on the cost of imports. This means we need to be careful when drawing inferences about food prices based on one-off events, when by and large the price of food – when removed from other factors – is still in fact relatively stable and low by historical standards.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86106/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Fraser does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Is the 61% spike in the price of Brazil nuts this year because we’re going nuts for nuts?Iain Fraser, Professor of Agri-Environmental Economics, University of KentLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.