California Ag Network

Tag: heart health

  • California Walnut Commission Applauds Emphasis on Nuts in New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

    There is good news for walnuts in the newly released 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which emphasize “real”, nutrient-dense foods — including nuts — as the foundation of a healthy diet.

    The DGAs recognize nuts as a source of plant-based protein and emphasize consumption of healthy fats found in whole foods across multiple age groups and life-stages, and the accompanying report features walnuts on their list of “rich sources of [omega-3] ALA[1].” In addition, for the first time, walnuts are clearly represented in the new food pyramid.

    Further, within a 2,000-calorie diet, the DGAs recommend one ounce of nuts or seeds and two tablespoons of nut or seed butter as part of the three to four daily servings of protein foods. The DGAs also recommend introducing potentially allergenic foods —including nut butters—with other complementary foods to infants at about 6 months.

    “This marks an important step in gaining broader recognition that walnuts, as a healthy and real food, should be part of our daily lifestyle,” said Robert Verloop, CEO of the California Walnut Commission (CWC). “It also is a testament to the 30 years of investment in sound, scientific health and nutrition research by the California walnut industry.”

    While the new DGAs were under development, the CWC leveraged the over 240 published research studies to submit comments and provide evidence showcasing how walnuts can be included in healthy dietary patterns. The CWC continues to support new research in areas such as gut health, sleep and cognitive function, alongside continued investment in heart and metabolic health.

    “Through CWC’s Global Health Research Program, we’re fueling science that speaks to health and wellness, and supporting researchers exploring the topics that truly matter to consumers,” said Rachel Blaine, CWC scientific advisor. “By advancing evidence in these areas, we’re showcasing how walnuts can power overall well-being and inspire people everywhere to make walnuts a delicious part of their daily routine.”

    The DGAs also highlight a broader commitment to American agriculture. “We are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers and companies who grow and produce real food,” according to the DGAs.

    For more information on the 2025-2030 DGAs, visit realfood.gov. For more information about the California Walnut  Commission and its programs, visit walnuts.org.

    About the California Walnut Commission

    The California Walnut Commission (CWC) represents more than 3,700 California walnut growers and approximately 70 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. California walnuts, known for their excellent nutritional value and quality, are shipped around the world all year long, with more than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States being from California. The CWC, established in 1987, promotes usage of walnuts through domestic and export market development activities as well as supports health research with consuming walnuts.

    To explore recipes and learn more about California walnut growers, industry information and health research, visit walnuts.org.

    [1] One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3.

  • Research Suggests Fresh Grapes are a Superfood

    A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of “superfoods” and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. The author, leading resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, brings forth an array of evidence to support his perspective on this issue.

    As noted in the article, the term “superfood” is a common word without an official definition or established criteria. Mainstream superfoods are typically part of the Mediterranean Diet and generally rich in natural plant compounds that are beneficial to a person’s health. Pezzuto addresses the broader topic of superfoods in detail, then makes the scientific case for grapes, noting that fresh grapes are underplayed in this arena and often not included with mention of other similar foods, such as berries.

    Grapes are a natural source of over 1,600 compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, resveratrol, and more. Polyphenols are credited with the health benefits of grapes, via antioxidant activity and influencing cellular processes. It is the whole grape and the unique matrix of these compounds within it that creates the biological effects, not a single component.

    Over sixty peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health. The role of grapes on cardiovascular health is well established, including promoting relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation, as well as modulating cholesterol levels. Clinical trials also show that grapes support brain health (help maintain healthy brain metabolism and beneficial impacts on cognition), skin health (enhanced resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage in skin cells), gut health (modulating the gut microbiome and increasing diversity in the gut), and eye health (retinal impact via increase in macular pigment optical density). Finally, in the realm of nutrigenomics – the study of foods on gene expression in the body – grape consumption has been shown to positively alter gene expression in relevant body systems. Pezzuto suggests that it is these activities at the genetic level that are likely the

    driving force behind the health benefits of grapes.

    “Dr. Pezzuto shows that based on the science, grapes are indeed a superfood, and should be recognized as such,” said Ian LeMay, president of the California Table Grape Commission, “and we are hopeful that using this nomenclature in association with grapes becomes common practice. Luckily, whether consumed for health or sheer enjoyment as a healthy snack, eating California grapes is a win for consumers.”