Bedtime Snack Swap: Gut Health & Diabetes Prevention
Pistachios as a Nighttime Snack May Reshape Gut Microbiome in Prediabetes
university Park, PA – A recent study suggests that incorporating pistachios into a nighttime snack routine could significantly alter the gut microbial landscape in adults with prediabetes, potentially offering long-term health benefits.The research, led by a team including a postdoctoral fellow from Louisiana State university and faculty from Penn State, observed notable shifts in beneficial bacteria following regular pistachio consumption.
The study, which involved 51 adults diagnosed with prediabetes, employed a randomized crossover design. Participants underwent two 12-week periods, each featuring a different snack regimen, separated by a break to prevent carryover effects. One period involved consuming approximately two ounces of pistachios each night, while the other involved a standard carbohydrate snack of 15 to 30 grams. Stool samples were collected and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess changes in the gut microbiome.
Researchers found that the pistachio intervention led to a significant increase in specific bacterial groups, including Roseburia and members of the Lachnospiraceae family. These bacteria are recognized for their role in producing short-chain fatty acids (scfas) like butyrate, which are crucial for gut health.
“Butyrate serves as a primary energy source for colon cells, helps maintain the gut barrier and supports anti-inflammatory processes,” explained one of the study’s lead researchers, who earned their doctorate in nutritional sciences at Penn State and currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow at Louisiana State University.
The study also noted a reduction in certain bacterial groups associated with less favorable metabolic outcomes. Levels of Blautia hydrogenotrophica, a bacterium linked to compounds that can negatively impact kidney and heart health, were found to be lower after pistachio consumption. Additionally, Eubacterium flavonifractor, which can break down beneficial antioxidant compounds, also decreased.
“Pistachios seem to be able to meaningfully shift the gut microbial landscape in adults with prediabetes, especially when consumed as a nighttime snack,” the researcher stated. “These microbiome changes may offer other long-term health benefits – potentially helping to slow the advancement of Type 2 diabetes or to reduce systemic inflammation – which we hope to explore in future research.”
The researchers highlighted the strength of their study’s design,a randomized crossover clinical trial,which allowed for a direct comparison of the effects of pistachios versus a standard carbohydrate snack within the same participants. This approach provided a clearer understanding of how specific foods can influence the gut microbiome.
While the study demonstrated clear shifts in gut bacteria, the researchers acknowledge that further inquiry is needed to confirm whether these changes directly translate into tangible health improvements.
This research was supported by the American Pistachio Growers, Penn State’s clinical and Translational Science Institute through the National center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, Juniata College, and the U.S. National Science Foundation. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04056208).Contributing to this research were Jordan Bisanz, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State; Penny Kris-Etherton, retired professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State; Justin Wright of Wright Labs, LLC; and Regina Lamendella, Jeremy Chen See, and khushi Kanani of Juniata College.