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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Jun 29;16(13):2084.
doi: 10.3390/nu16132084.

A Randomized, Crossover Trial Assessing Appetite, Energy Metabolism, Blood Biomarkers, and Ad Libitum Food Intake Responses to a Mid-Morning Pecan Snack vs. an Equicaloric High-Carbohydrate Snack in Healthy Volunteers with Overweight/Obesity

John C Peters  1   2 , Jeanne Anne Breen  1 , Zhaoxing Pan  3 , Jacinda Nicklas  1   4 , Marc-Andre Cornier  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A Randomized, Crossover Trial Assessing Appetite, Energy Metabolism, Blood Biomarkers, and Ad Libitum Food Intake Responses to a Mid-Morning Pecan Snack vs. an Equicaloric High-Carbohydrate Snack in Healthy Volunteers with Overweight/Obesity

John C Peters et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: The differential effects of pecans versus other popular snack foods on appetite and blood markers of metabolism and satiety have not been well studied. This study investigated the effects of a single mid-morning snack of pecans or tortilla chips on subjective appetite, food intake, blood measures of hormones and metabolites, and resting energy expenditure.

Methods: Twenty participants with overweight and obesity were enrolled in a within-participants, randomized crossover trial. Participants had indwelling catheters placed for blood sampling and were fed a standardized breakfast, followed two hours later by a 250 kcal snack of either pecans or tortilla chips, and then by a self-selected lunch. Visual analog scale (VAS) appetite measures, blood markers, and energy expenditure were taken at intervals after food consumption.

Results: VAS ratings, energy, food intake and macronutrient composition did not differ between treatment conditions, but glucose and insulin were significantly more elevated after tortilla chips. Free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides (TG), peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were higher after consuming pecans compared to tortilla chips.

Conclusions: Pecan consumption improves postprandial glucose and insulin profiles which would be beneficial to individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether increased relative secretion of PYY and GLP-1 after eating pecans versus tortilla chips may affect subjective appetite and energy intake if consumed chronically.

Keywords: appetite; blood biomarkers; energy expenditure; pecans; satiety; snack food; tortilla chips.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of this study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. The conduct of this study and the content of this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors. This study was registered at ClinTrials.gov (accessed on 26 June 2021), trial NCT04484974.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Nutrition facts panel for pecans fed in this study.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Nutrition facts panel for the two tortilla chip products used in this study.
Figure A3
Figure A3
How hungry are you right now? Visual analog scale appetite scores on a 0–100 mm scale. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure A4
Figure A4
How full do you feel right now? Visual analog scale appetite scores on a 0–100 mm scale. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure A5
Figure A5
How strong is your desire to eat right now? Visual analog scale appetite scores on a 0–100 mm scale. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) Before and after snack; (C) Before and after lunch.
Figure A6
Figure A6
How much do you think you could eat right now? Visual analog scale appetite scores on a 0–100 mm scale. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) Before and after snack; (C) Before and after lunch.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Consort Diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Nutritional composition of self-selected lunch. (A) Energy consumed (kcal); (B) weight of food consumed (g); (C) protein consumed (g); (D) carbohydrate consumed (g); (E) fat consumed (g); (F) fiber consumed (g).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Plasma glucose (mg/dL) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Serum insulin (μU/mL) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Serum free fatty acids (μmol/L) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Plasma triglycerides (mg/dL) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Plasma ghrelin (pg/mL) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Plasma Peptide YY (pg/mL) response to meals. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Plasma GLP-1 (pmol/L) response to meal. (A) Before and after breakfast; (B) before and after snack; (C) before and after lunch.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Resting and post-snack energy expenditure (REE, kcal/d), and respiratory quotient (RQ). (A) REE, before breakfast and after snack; (B) RQ, before breakfast and after snack.
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