Smart orchard design improves crop pollination.
More sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices, including ecological intensification, are needed to reduce biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. We evaluated the potential of ecological intensification through the enhancement of pollination services in an intensively managed and insect-pollinated crop, Macadamia integrifolia. We compared the effects and importance of agronomic practices that include agronomic input (i.e. […]
The EU sustainable food systems framework – potential for climate action.
The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) marks the first time that the EU addresses food sustainability covering both production and consumption (ref. 1, p. 586). The flagship initiative under the F2F strategy is an entirely novel Framework for a Sustainable Food System (FSFS). The FSFS is being developed at a time where the war […]
Improving and expanding hedgerows—Recommendations for a semi‐natural habitat in agricultural landscapes.
1.Hedgerows provide habitat, shelter and resources for many species including functionally important taxa and threatened species. Hedgerows store carbon both above- and below-ground and provide a range of other ecosystem services. Policies incentivizing increases in the extent and quality of hedgerows require evidence to determine how these increases may best support a wide range of […]
Interventions for sourcing EAT-Lancet diets within national agricultural areas: A global analysis.
Trade has helped the global food system drastically reduce world hunger. However, it has also left nations vulnerable to food-trade shocks that can lead to local food shortages. National food resilience may be increased by exploring the feasibility of adapting healthy diets to local production and sourcing. The EAT-Lancet diet has been proposed as a […]
Where We Are and Where We Are Going in Nut Research.
Nuts have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Traditionally, nuts have been incorporated as an ingredient in many dishes, and over the years, nuts have been consumed in various forms from raw or minimally processed to more processed forms and eaten as snacks as well as included within recipes for main […]
Effect of Nuts on Gastrointestinal Health
Nuts are high nutrient-dense foods containing healthy lipids, dietary fiber, and bioactive phytochemicals, including vitamins and minerals. Although the beneficial effect of nut consumption on different chronic diseases has been well documented, especially in relation to their cardiometabolic benefits, less scientific evidence is available on their possible beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. In this narrative […]
Nuts, Energy Balance and Body Weight.
Over several decades, the health benefits of consuming nuts have been investigated, resulting in a large body of evidence that nuts can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The consumption of nuts, being a higher-fat plant food, is restricted by some in order to minimize weight gain. In this review, we discuss several factors related […]
Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions.
Dried fruits and nuts contain high amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals—all of which may have anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This narrative review summarizes the evidence for dried fruits and nuts and cancer incidence, mortality, and survival and their potential anticancer properties. The evidence for dried fruits in cancer outcomes is limited, but existing studies […]
Olive Oil and Nuts in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity.
Few observational studies investigated the relationship between single food groups and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Within a recent Italian cross-sectional study (365 patients, median age: 58.46 years, 78.63% females), we focused on two food groups, olive oil and nuts, representing vegetable sources of fatty acids. Disease activity was measured with Disease Activity Score […]
Impact of Non-Thermal Technologies on the Quality of Nuts: A Review.
Nuts are widely consumed worldwide, mainly due to their characteristic flavor and texture, ease of consumption, and their functional properties. In addition, consumers increasingly demand natural or slightly processed foods with high quality. Consequently, non-thermal treatments are a viable alternative to thermal treatments used to guarantee safety and long shelf life, which produce undesirable changes […]