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Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial

Background: Adolescence, when the most complex behaviors are refined to adult sophistication, represents a major window of opportunity and vulnerability for neuropsychological development. To support and protect this complex and active brain growth, different nutritional components considered essent...

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Autores principales: Julvez, Jordi, Gignac, Florence, Fernández-Barrés, Silvia, Romaguera, Dora, Sala-Vila, Aleix, Ranzani, Otavio T., Persavento, Cecilia, Delgado, Anna, Carol, Albert, Torrent, Jaume, Gonzalez, Judith, Roso, Eduard, Barrera-Gómez, Jose, López-Vicente, Mónica, Garcia-Esteban, Raquel, Boucher, Olivier, Forns, Joan, Burgaleta, Miguel, Sebastián, Nuria, Canals, Josefina, Arija, Victoria, Basagaña, Xavier, Ros, Emilio, Vendrell, Joan, Salas-Salvadó, Jordi, Sunyer, Jordi
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8217431/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34169045
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.593847
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author Julvez, Jordi
Gignac, Florence
Fernández-Barrés, Silvia
Romaguera, Dora
Sala-Vila, Aleix
Ranzani, Otavio T.
Persavento, Cecilia
Delgado, Anna
Carol, Albert
Torrent, Jaume
Gonzalez, Judith
Roso, Eduard
Barrera-Gómez, Jose
López-Vicente, Mónica
Garcia-Esteban, Raquel
Boucher, Olivier
Forns, Joan
Burgaleta, Miguel
Sebastián, Nuria
Canals, Josefina
Arija, Victoria
Basagaña, Xavier
Ros, Emilio
Vendrell, Joan
Salas-Salvadó, Jordi
Sunyer, Jordi
author_facet Julvez, Jordi
Gignac, Florence
Fernández-Barrés, Silvia
Romaguera, Dora
Sala-Vila, Aleix
Ranzani, Otavio T.
Persavento, Cecilia
Delgado, Anna
Carol, Albert
Torrent, Jaume
Gonzalez, Judith
Roso, Eduard
Barrera-Gómez, Jose
López-Vicente, Mónica
Garcia-Esteban, Raquel
Boucher, Olivier
Forns, Joan
Burgaleta, Miguel
Sebastián, Nuria
Canals, Josefina
Arija, Victoria
Basagaña, Xavier
Ros, Emilio
Vendrell, Joan
Salas-Salvadó, Jordi
Sunyer, Jordi
author_sort Julvez, Jordi
collection PubMed
description Background: Adolescence, when the most complex behaviors are refined to adult sophistication, represents a major window of opportunity and vulnerability for neuropsychological development. To support and protect this complex and active brain growth, different nutritional components considered essential need to be acquired from the diet. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids are mainly obtained from seafood, seeds, and walnuts. Known for their rich lipid profile, walnuts contain sizable amounts of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid that is the precursor of two longer-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA): docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids. While there is growing evidence of neuropsychological improvements in the young developing brain associated with omega-3 PUFA intake, few studies have examined whether consuming walnuts during adolescence entails similar beneficial effects. There is a need to further explore the ways in which walnuts influence youthful brain function, particularly for the long-term. Thus, we designed the WALNUTs study (WSS), a population-based randomized controlled trial conducted in adolescents in Barcelona, Spain. We hypothesize that walnut intake will increase omega-3 PUFA tissue availability (particularly ALA) to a level that enhances the neuropsychological development during adolescence. Methodology/Design: We conducted a 6-month population-based randomized controlled trial in teenagers (n = 800) and we aimed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention (four walnuts per day, or 30 kernel g, ~1.5g of ALA) in enhancing brain neuropsychological and socio-emotional development compared to a control group with no walnut intervention. Before randomization, different neuropsychological tests were recorded for all participants, and blood samples (in a subsample of participants) were collected to measure omega-3 PUFA levels at baseline, and all again, after randomization and the intervention. The data is now collected and we will conduct linear regression models to assess the effect of the intervention. Discussion: The WALNUTs (WSS) study results will allow us to better understand the role of plant-based omega-3 PUFA intake from regular walnut consumption on neuropsychological development during adolescence. Results could be translated into nutritional public health recommendations targeting teenagers. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health # NCT02590848. Retrospectively registered 29/10/2015.
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spelling pubmed-82174312021-06-23 Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial Julvez, Jordi Gignac, Florence Fernández-Barrés, Silvia Romaguera, Dora Sala-Vila, Aleix Ranzani, Otavio T. Persavento, Cecilia Delgado, Anna Carol, Albert Torrent, Jaume Gonzalez, Judith Roso, Eduard Barrera-Gómez, Jose López-Vicente, Mónica Garcia-Esteban, Raquel Boucher, Olivier Forns, Joan Burgaleta, Miguel Sebastián, Nuria Canals, Josefina Arija, Victoria Basagaña, Xavier Ros, Emilio Vendrell, Joan Salas-Salvadó, Jordi Sunyer, Jordi Front Pediatr Pediatrics Background: Adolescence, when the most complex behaviors are refined to adult sophistication, represents a major window of opportunity and vulnerability for neuropsychological development. To support and protect this complex and active brain growth, different nutritional components considered essential need to be acquired from the diet. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids are mainly obtained from seafood, seeds, and walnuts. Known for their rich lipid profile, walnuts contain sizable amounts of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid that is the precursor of two longer-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA): docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids. While there is growing evidence of neuropsychological improvements in the young developing brain associated with omega-3 PUFA intake, few studies have examined whether consuming walnuts during adolescence entails similar beneficial effects. There is a need to further explore the ways in which walnuts influence youthful brain function, particularly for the long-term. Thus, we designed the WALNUTs study (WSS), a population-based randomized controlled trial conducted in adolescents in Barcelona, Spain. We hypothesize that walnut intake will increase omega-3 PUFA tissue availability (particularly ALA) to a level that enhances the neuropsychological development during adolescence. Methodology/Design: We conducted a 6-month population-based randomized controlled trial in teenagers (n = 800) and we aimed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention (four walnuts per day, or 30 kernel g, ~1.5g of ALA) in enhancing brain neuropsychological and socio-emotional development compared to a control group with no walnut intervention. Before randomization, different neuropsychological tests were recorded for all participants, and blood samples (in a subsample of participants) were collected to measure omega-3 PUFA levels at baseline, and all again, after randomization and the intervention. The data is now collected and we will conduct linear regression models to assess the effect of the intervention. Discussion: The WALNUTs (WSS) study results will allow us to better understand the role of plant-based omega-3 PUFA intake from regular walnut consumption on neuropsychological development during adolescence. Results could be translated into nutritional public health recommendations targeting teenagers. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health # NCT02590848. Retrospectively registered 29/10/2015. Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-08 /pmc/articles/PMC8217431/ /pubmed/34169045 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.593847 Text en Copyright © 2021 Julvez, Gignac, Fernández-Barrés, Romaguera, Sala-Vila, Ranzani, Persavento, Delgado, Carol, Torrent, Gonzalez, Roso, Barrera-Gómez, López-Vicente, Garcia-Esteban, Boucher, Forns, Burgaleta, Sebastián, Canals, Arija, Basagaña, Ros, Vendrell, Salas-Salvadó and Sunyer. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Pediatrics
Julvez, Jordi
Gignac, Florence
Fernández-Barrés, Silvia
Romaguera, Dora
Sala-Vila, Aleix
Ranzani, Otavio T.
Persavento, Cecilia
Delgado, Anna
Carol, Albert
Torrent, Jaume
Gonzalez, Judith
Roso, Eduard
Barrera-Gómez, Jose
López-Vicente, Mónica
Garcia-Esteban, Raquel
Boucher, Olivier
Forns, Joan
Burgaleta, Miguel
Sebastián, Nuria
Canals, Josefina
Arija, Victoria
Basagaña, Xavier
Ros, Emilio
Vendrell, Joan
Salas-Salvadó, Jordi
Sunyer, Jordi
Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title_full Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title_fullStr Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title_full_unstemmed Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title_short Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial
title_sort walnuts, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and adolescent brain development: protocol for the walnuts smart snack dietary intervention trial
topic Pediatrics
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8217431/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34169045
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.593847
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