(P20-056-25) Almond Bites and Metabolic Insights: A 12-Week Crossover Trial in Physically Active Middle-Aged Adults With Overweight or Obesity

Objectives: Overweight and obesity elevate the risk of metabolic disorders. Almonds, a nutrient-rich snack, may offer metabolic benefits, but their impact on active individuals remains unclear. This study examined the effects of almond intake on the serum metabolome in active middle-aged adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods: In a 12-week crossover RCT, 38 participants (17/21 males/postmenopausal females; 57.9±4.1 y; 29.1±2.3 kg/m²) consumed either 64 g/d of unsalted roasted almonds or an isocaloric granola bar, with a 4-week washout. Fasting serum was collected before and after each diet period. Untargeted global metabolites were quantified using NMR spectroscopy. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to assess the main and interaction effects on individual metabolites, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare metabolite changes between time points.

Results: A total of 31 metabolites were identified across the samples. LMMs identified significant Intervention x Time x Sex interactions for the relative proportion of methionine (p < 0.01) and lactate (p=0.04), Intervention x Time interactions for methionine and glycine (both p< 0.01), and intervention effects for lysine (p=0.03), glucose (p=0.01), alanine (p=0.01), and glycine (p < 0.01). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed that compared to baseline, almond intake increased ornithine (Pre=33.96uM vs. Post=38.38uM, ∆%=13.02%; p=0.01) and tryptophan (Pre=38.11uM vs. Post=41.26uM, ∆%=8.26%; p=0.04) and reduced creatinine (Pre=61.27uM vs. Post=59.49uM, ∆%=-2.90%; p< 0.01). Sex-specific analyses revealed that in males, almond intake increased methionine (Pre=17.92uM vs. Post=20.77uM, ∆%=15.88%; p< 0.01) and lactate (Pre=1214.33uM vs. Post=1407.87uM, ∆%=15.94%; p=0.03) and decreased creatinine (Pre=71.69uM vs. Post=69.50uM, ∆%=-3.05%; p=0.05), whereas in females, almond intake increased valine (Pre=159.88uM vs. Post=176.47uM, ∆%=10.38%; p=0.01) and tryptophan (Pre=34.57uM vs. Post=38.80uM, ∆%=12.21%; p=0.02) and decreased methionine (Pre=17.06uM vs. Post=16.63uM, ∆%=-2.52%; p=0.02) and glucose levels (Pre=3627.85uM vs. Post=3642.64.uM, ∆%=-0.41%; p=0.05).

Conclusions: Almond consumption elicits sex-specific metabolic responses, suggesting their potential as a functional food for energy and protein metabolism.

Funding Sources: Almond Board of California