Nuts and excess weight: how almonds and walnuts shift the inflammation profile

Obesity is now described not only as "excess fat", but as low-level chronic inflammation (meta-inflammation), in which adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ and actively secretes signaling molecules - adipokines. With excess weight, the levels of pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP, etc.) increase, and anti-inflammatory markers (for example, adiponectin) decrease. A new narrative review in Nutrients collected clinical studies on how regular consumption of nuts (almonds, walnuts, mixes) affects adipokines in people with excess body weight and obesity. Brief conclusion: the effect on lipids is stable, on adipokines - point and heterogeneous, but it is for IL-6 that the picture is most consistent in favor of nuts.

The researchers emphasize that nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, phytosterols, polyphenols, and tocopherols - all of which have the potential to "quench" inflammation and improve metabolism. However, clinical data on the regulation of adipokines in people with obesity are still scattered: the type of nut, dose (20-48 g/day), format (single nut vs. mixture), duration (from 4 days to 12 months), and initial risk vary greatly. That is why the review presented an honest but accurate picture: nuts - yes, but nuances decide a lot.

Background of the study

Obesity is now viewed not only as excess fat, but as a state of chronic “low-level” inflammation (meta-inflammation), where adipose tissue behaves like an endocrine organ. Adipocytes and infiltrating macrophages secrete adipokines and cytokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP), which worsen insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, and vascular function, thereby linking excess weight to type 2 diabetes and CVD. Dietary interventions that can shift this profile toward the “anti-inflammatory” side are a key goal of prevention.

Nuts are a good candidate because they combine mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (ALA ω-3 in walnuts), dietary fiber and fermentable polyphenols (interact with microbiota), phytosterols, arginine (a substrate for NO), magnesium, and tocopherols. Potential mechanisms include suppression of NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling, improvements in lipoprotein profile and endothelial function, increased insulin sensitivity, and microbiota-mediated formation of SCFAs (butyrate/propionate), which themselves reduce inflammation. However, nuts are energy dense, so a rule of thumb is to substitute them for less healthy snacks rather than “add them on top”; this has usually been successful in avoiding weight gain in RCTs.

The clinical literature on overweight and obese individuals is consistent in showing the benefits of nuts for lipids (↓total cholesterol, LDL-c, triglycerides; ↑HDL-c). However, the picture for adipokines is mixed: most often, a decrease in IL-6 is recorded, while changes in adiponectin, IL-10, and other markers vary depending on the type of nut (almonds, walnuts, mixtures, less often - exotic ones like baru), dose (~20-48 g / day), duration (weeks-months), metabolic status, and whether it was a calorie replacement or a supplement. Another source of heterogeneity is different analytics (marker panels, time of day, concomitant therapy) and the brevity of many interventions.

Against this background, a systemic revision is needed: which nuts exactly and in what format (single type or mixture), dose (~30 g/day as a “realistic” portion) and terms (≥3-12 months) provide clinically significant shifts in adipokines in people with excess weight; who should be considered “responders” (gender, BMI, insulin resistance, initial inflammatory background); how to control caloric content so that the effect is specifically anti-inflammatory and not “masked” by energy. This is the gap that the review fills: it aggregates clinical interventions in people, compares types of nuts and adipokine outcomes and formulates a practical vector - a regular, moderate portion of a nut mixture as part of a Mediterranean-type diet, with an eye on IL-6 and lipids, and leaves fine-tuning (adiponectin, IL-10) to future standardized RCTs.

What and how the authors searched

• Type of work: only in vivo in humans; mandatory - nut intervention and adipokine/obesity outcomes; English language of publication.
• What nuts: almonds, walnuts, and also mixes; some data - on the Brazilian "baru" (Baru).
• Why it matters: Adipokines link excess fat to type 2 diabetes, CVD and hypertension - changing their profile can shift the prognosis.

Key findings of the review

• Lipids improve steadily. With regular nuts, total cholesterol, LDL-c and triglycerides fall, HDL-c increases in obese people. This is repeated in different samples.
• IL-6 is the most “sensitive” adipokine. Almonds and some mixtures were associated with a decrease in IL-6, i.e., with a “weakening” of the inflammatory axis.
• Adiponectin - ambiguous. For almonds, there are often no changes; for Baru, growth was reported; there are signals of growth on walnuts/mixes at 40-48 g/day in short/medium courses, but the data are heterogeneous.
• IL-10 and other markers - scatter. In some studies, IL-10 was even reduced by almonds/Baru; for most other cytokines, there is no uniformity. Conclusion: effects depend on the nut matrix, dose and duration.
• Dose and format matter. The authors saw the most “clear” signals for adipokines at ~30 g/day of the nut mixture and a duration of 3 to 12 months; higher doses or one specific nut did not always give the best response.

The authors associate the effect of nuts primarily with unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols and phytosterols - they "soften" metabolic inflammation, support insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. A set of nuts can work synergistically (mixtures provide "wider" nutrients), while relying on one type is not always sufficient. Hence the recommendation to focus not on "superfood", but on a regular, moderate portion of the mix.

Practical meaning for the reader

• How much to put in a plate. Most national guides recommend 20-30 g of nuts per day, but in the EU the range of recommendations is large (from a "handful" to >30 g) - there are no uniform standards. In studies with a positive shift in adipokines, ~30 g/day of the mix often appeared.
• How to choose a type. Mixes provide a “broader” nutrient matrix. Almonds look good on lipids and IL-6; walnuts are a possible plus for adiponectin; exotic Baru showed an interesting profile, but is poorly distributed.
• About calories. Nuts are energy dense, but in studies, when replacing less healthy snacks, body weight usually does not increase; the key is portion size and substitution, not adding "on top." (This part follows from the overall body of literature that the review cites in the context of the metabolic benefits of nuts.)

Where Nuts Fit into the Bigger Nutrition Picture

• In protocols and reviews, nuts are an element of the Mediterranean diet, where they reduce the risk of CVD, diabetes and hypertension; this is especially important in the case of excess weight.
• A number of RCTs (including PREDIMED subanalyses) on walnuts/mixes have shown a decrease in IL-6/IL-8 and an increase in adiponectin - a signal in favor of an anti-inflammatory effect, but with reservations about the design and population.

Restrictions

• Few "hard" clinical studies strictly on adipokines in obese people; many pilot studies, different doses/timings.
• Heterogeneity in types of nuts, portions and duration makes it difficult to identify the “golden” dose.
• Some effects are population-specific (type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Asian obesity criteria, etc.).
• Not all markers move in a coordinated manner: IL-6 steadily falls, but IL-10/adiponectin - “as luck would have it.”

What's next (tasks for new research)

• Standardize protocols: uniform adipokine panels, periods ≥6-12 months, control of calorie replacement.
• Compare formats: mix vs. single nut; raw/roasted; crushed; combinations with fiber.
• Catch the defendants: who exactly responds better (gender, BMI, insulin resistance, initial inflammatory background).

Summary

Nuts are a useful "minor adjustment" to the diet for excess weight: lipids improve steadily, IL-6 is most often reduced, but with other adipokines everything is more complicated. If you choose practice today - set at ~30 g / day of the mixture as part of a healthy diet, and science will in the meantime clarify the details of "who, how much and which".

Source: Campos SB, Egea MB Ingesting Nuts Can Regulate Adipokines Expression in Individuals Living with Overweight and Obesity: A Narrative Review of What Is Known So Far. Nutrients. 2025;17(13):2138. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17132138