Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance Syndrome
Conditions
Interventions
Study participants will receive 
daily 
50 g (about 15% of energy) 
of raw walnuts 
(walnut intervention) 
or no walnuts (control intervention) for 24 weeks.
Sponsors
Universiteit Maastricht
Eligibility
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: - Men and women, aged between 45-75 years - Women postmenopausal: two or more years after last menstruation - Waist circumference of =102 cm for men and =88 cm for women (abdominally obese)- Fasting plasma glucose < 7.0 mmol/L - Fasting serum total cholesterol < 8.0 mmol/L - Fasting serum triacylglycerol < 4.5 mmol/L - Systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg - Stable body weight (weight gain or loss < 3 kg in the past three months) - Willingness to give up being a blood donor from 8 weeks before the start of the study, during the study and for 4 weeks after completion of the study - No difficult venipuncture as evidenced during the screening visit
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: - Allergy or intolerance to walnuts- Left-handedness - Current smoker, or smoking cessation < 12 months - Diabetic patients - Familial hypercholesterolemia - Abuse of drugs - More than 3 alcoholic consumptions per day - Use of products or dietary supplements (e.g., dietary fiber or antioxidant dietary supplements (vitamin C and E), fish or seaweed oil capsules) known to interfere with the main outcomes as judged by the principal investigators- Use medication to treat blood pressure, lipid, or glucose metabolism - Use of an investigational product within another biomedical intervention trial within the previous 1-month - Severe medical conditions that might interfere with the study, such as epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure or renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, auto inflammatory diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis - Active cardiovascular disease like congestive heart failure or cardiovascular event, such as an acute myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident - Contra-indications for MRI imaging (e.g., pacemaker, surgical clips/material in body, metal splinter in eye, claustrophobia)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| At baseline and after 24 weeks (follow-up), participants will visit the research facilities for assessments. The primary endpoint is the difference in the cerebral blood flow response before and after intranasal insulin administration between the walnut and control intervention. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Cognitive performance will be assessed, while we will also focus on appetite-related brain reward activity (secondary outcomes). | — |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
Public ContactPJ Joris
Universiteit Maastricht
Outcome results
None listed