Perspective: Challenges and Future Directions in Clinical Research with Nuts and Berries

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Dietary Interventions
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Nuts and berries are integral to healthy eating patterns, providing essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phenolics.
• These bioactive compounds contribute to improved physiological outcomes, impacting cardiovascular health, gut microbiome, and cognitive function.
• Emerging research highlights their potential in precision nutrition due to their unique bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of nuts and berries in clinical nutrition.
• To discuss successes and challenges in current research.
• To explore future directions, particularly in precision nutrition.

Main Methods:

• The content is based on discussions from an international nutrition conference.
• Key topics included bioactive compounds, precision nutrition, study design challenges, and multi-omics technologies.
• Considerations such as funding streams and risk-of-bias were also addressed.

Main Results:

• Nuts and berries possess a complex nutrient profile beneficial for various health outcomes.
• Challenges in clinical studies include inconsistent designs, homogenous populations, variable products, and portion size assessment.
• Precision nutrition and multi-omics approaches are identified as crucial for future insights.

Conclusions:

• Nuts and berries play a significant role in clinical nutrition and healthy eating.
• Addressing methodological challenges is vital for advancing research on these foods.
• Future research should leverage precision nutrition and multi-omics for deeper understanding.