代謝綜合征是2型糖尿病和心血管疾病等慢性代謝性疾病的重要風險因素,。近20年來，隨著我國居民的膳食結(jié)構(gòu)和生活方式的日漸西化，慢性代謝性疾病的患病率迅速上升,。我國目前有超過有15.1% 成年人患有代謝綜合征,。因此，發(fā)現(xiàn)和建立經(jīng)濟有效的控制代謝綜合征的方法是控制這類疾病的關(guān)鍵環(huán)節(jié),。
最近,，美國《營養(yǎng)學(xué)雜志》（Journal of Nutrition）在線發(fā)表了由中科院上海生科院營養(yǎng)所林旭研究組與美國哈佛大學(xué)營養(yǎng)系Frank B. Hu教授合作完成的針對代謝綜合征的營養(yǎng)干預(yù)研究成果。
亞麻子富含多不飽和（n-3）脂肪酸,、木酚素和膳食纖維等營養(yǎng)成分,。林旭研究組近年來已在亞麻子及其衍生物木酚素抗前列腺癌的機理和2型糖尿病干預(yù)方面取得了一系列重要進展。如發(fā)現(xiàn)亞麻子木酚素干預(yù)能顯著地改善2型糖尿病患者的血糖控制和胰島素抵抗（Pan et al. PLoS ONE, 2007）,，以及控制炎性因子C-反應(yīng)蛋白水平（Pan et al. British Journal of Nutrition, 2008）,。并通過對全球諸多的亞麻子干預(yù)進行薈萃分析發(fā)現(xiàn)：亞麻子干預(yù)能顯著降低血液中總膽固醇和低密度脂蛋白膽固醇的水平（Pan et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.2009）.
核桃含有豐富的多不飽和脂肪酸、含精氨酸的植物蛋白,，以及膳食纖維,、葉酸、維生素E等多種營養(yǎng)成分,。本研究的核桃干預(yù)部分是與哈佛大學(xué)營養(yǎng)系Frank B. Hu教授合作下進行的,。Hu教授研究團隊之前的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)核桃以及其它干果攝入對2型糖尿病、心血管疾病等慢性疾病具有保護作用,；并通過薈萃分析發(fā)現(xiàn)富含核桃的膳食干預(yù)能顯著降低血液中低密度脂蛋白膽固醇的水平（Banel et al. American Journal of Clinic Nutrition 2009）,。
在該項目中，林旭研究組的博士生鄔紅玉等人采用平行設(shè)計方案,，以美國心臟協(xié)會提出的指南為依據(jù)對代謝綜合征患者或其高危個體（共計283名）進行健康生活方式教育,。并在此基礎(chǔ)上將他們隨機分為（1）生活方式干預(yù)組（對照組）：每天食用與干預(yù)組同等能量但不添加核桃或亞麻子的面包；（2）生活方式干預(yù)+亞麻子組：每天食用含有30克亞麻子的面包,；（3）生活方式干預(yù)+核桃組：每天食用含有30克核桃的面包,。經(jīng)過為期12周的干預(yù)，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)：（1）與干預(yù)前相比,，3組志愿者在干預(yù)后都顯著降低了代謝綜合征的患病率,，有效地控制了體重和腰圍并改善了血壓、血糖和血脂水平,；（2）與對照組相比,，食物中添加亞麻子或核桃能顯著提高腹型肥胖的逆轉(zhuǎn)率；（3）亞麻子添加能顯著降低腹型肥胖個體的空腹血糖,；（4）核桃減輕了代謝綜合征的嚴重程度（風險因子的數(shù)目）,。該結(jié)果提示：低強度健康生活方式教育有助于代謝綜合征的控制，而在此基礎(chǔ)上添加富含亞麻子和核桃的食物能進一步改善腹型肥胖等代謝異常指標,。本研究結(jié)果將為通過健康生活方式和飲食來控制代謝綜合征提供新的思路和重要的科學(xué)依據(jù),。而且，我國是世界亞麻子和核桃的第二大生產(chǎn)國，該研究結(jié)果為我國現(xiàn)有植物資源的充分利用提供了實驗依據(jù),。
該項目獲得了中科院知識創(chuàng)新工程重大項目,，中科院上海生科院首席科學(xué)家項目，國家自然科學(xué)基金和美國加州核桃協(xié)會基金聯(lián)合資助,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
J. Nutr. doi:10.3945/jn.110.126300
Lifestyle Counseling and Supplementation with Flaxseed or Walnuts Influence the Management of Metabolic Syndrome
Hongyu Wu5, An Pan6, Zhijie Yu5, Qibin Qi5, Ling Lu5, Geng Zhang5, Danxia Yu5, Geng Zong5, Yunhua Zhou5, Xiafei Chen7, Lixin Tang7, Ying Feng7, Hong Zhou8, Xiaolei Chen8, Huaixing Li5, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried9, Frank B. Hu6,10,11,* and Xu Lin5,*
A healthy lifestyle may ameliorate metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, it remains unclear if incorporating nuts or seeds into lifestyle counseling (LC) has additional benefit. A 3-arm, randomized, controlled trial was conducted among 283 participants screened for MetS using the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian Americans. Participants were assigned to a LC on the AHA guidelines, LC + flaxseed (30 g/d) (LCF), or LC + walnuts (30 g/d) (LCW) group. After the 12-wk intervention, the prevalence of MetS decreased significantly in all groups: –16.9% (LC), –20.2% (LCF), and –16.0% (LCW). The reversion rate of MetS, i.e. those no longer meeting the MetS criteria at 12 wk, was not significantly different among groups (LC group, 21.1%; LCF group, 26.6%; and LCW group, 25.5%). However, the reversion rate of central obesity was higher in the LCF (19.2%; P = 0.008) and LCW (16.0%; P = 0.04) groups than in the LC group (6.3%). Most of the metabolic variables (weight, waist circumference, serum glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein (Apo) B, ApoE, and blood pressure) were significantly reduced from baseline in all 3 groups. However, the severity of MetS, presented as the mean count of MetS components, was significantly reduced in the LCW group compared with the LC group among participants with confirmed MetS at baseline (P = 0.045). Our results suggest that a low-intensity lifestyle education program is effective in MetS management. Flaxseed and walnut supplementation may ameliorate central obesity. Further studies with larger sample sizes and of longer duration are needed to examine the role of these foods in the prevention and management of MetS.
