ID 1156 - Orzech włoski

PL: Orzech włoski
EN: JUGLANS REGlA L.
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Oświadczenie (2)

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food that is the subject of the health claims is walnuts.
Walnuts are seeds from the walnut tree (genus Juglans) of which about 20 different species are known in different parts of the world. Walnuts are drupes, rather than nuts. One of the most popular varieties of walnut is the Persian or English walnut, which has a large seed and a thinner shell, yielding more edible walnut meat by weight than other species. Black walnuts are another commonly sold walnut species, as are white walnuts, also called butternuts. The nut kernels contain about 57-65 % fat, of which about 3-6 % are saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 9-15 % are monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and 35-47 % are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (33-38 % linoleic acid (LA), and 2-9 % alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)). The nut kernels also contain about 5-7 % fibre, of which about 25 % is soluble fibre, 15-29 % protein, and small amounts of plant sterols and other phytochemicals. The Panel notes the variation in terms of macronutrient composition between different types of walnuts.
The Panel considers that the food, walnuts, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effects.

2.1. Utrzymanie prawidłowego stężenia cholesterolu LDL we krwi (ID 1156, 1158)

The claimed effects are “heart health (cardiovascular health)” and “lipid metabolism/heart health”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings and clarifications provided by Member States, the Panel assumes that the claimed effects refer to the maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver to peripheral tissues, including the arteries. Elevated LDL-cholesterol, by convention >160 mg/dL (>4.1 mmol/L), may compromise the normal structure and function of the arteries.
The Panel considers that maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations is a beneficial physiological effect.

3.1. Utrzymanie prawidłowego stężenia cholesterolu LDL we krwi (ID 1156, 1158)

Among the references provided for the scientific substantiation of the claim were consensus opinions or textbook chapters on the effects of different dietary fatty acids, as well as narrative reviews and human studies on the effect of diets with different fatty acid composition on cardiovascular risk factors. Some human studies addressed outcomes unrelated to the claimed effect, such as postprandial endothelial function or cardiovascular risk. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these references for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
All of the human intervention studies provided in the consolidated list on the effects of the consumption of walnuts on blood lipids were considered in the systematic review by Mukuddem- Petersen et al. (2005), which addressed the effects of nuts in general, including walnuts, on blood lipid profile. Nine of the studies selected used walnuts as the intervention (Abbey et al., 1994; Almario et al., 2001; Chisholm et al., 1998; Iwamoto et al., 2002; Morgan et al., 2002; Munoz et al., 2001; Ros et al., 2004; Sabate et al., 1993; Zambon et al., 2000). In two of these studies the intervention and control periods were in the same order for all subjects, with no wash-out period in between (Abbey et al., 1994; Almario et al., 2001); the Panel notes that these studies were not controlled for a temporal effect, and considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these studies for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
Among the seven studies with randomised, controlled cross-over designs, three used a Mediterranean diet as control (Munoz et al., 2001; Ros et al., 2004; Zambon et al., 2000), two used a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) step I diet (Morgan et al., 2002; Sabate et al., 1993), one used a low fat diet (Chisholm et al., 1998), and one used a Japanese diet (Iwamoto et al., 2002). The duration of the intervention was 4-6 weeks. Four of the studies, which included a total of 127 normo- and hypercholesterolaemic subjects with a daily walnut intake of 40-84 g, observed a significant decrease in total (from -4.3 to -12.4 %) and LDL-cholesterol (from -6.7 to -16.3 %) concentrations during the walnut diet compared to the “control” diet (Iwamoto et al., 2002; Ros et al., 2004; Sabate et al., 1993; Zambon et al., 2000), whereas in the remaining three studies differences between intervention and control groups were not significant (n=73; walnut intake = 41-78 g/day). No significant differences between groups were observed in any of the studies with respect to HDL- cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, with the exception of a significant decrease in HDL-
cholesterol (-4.9 %) in the study by Sabate et al. (1993), where walnuts primarily replaced MUFAs. The Panel notes that the data from these studies could not be pooled in a meta-analysis because of the heterogeneity of the designs, particularly with respect to the control diet and type of subjects included (normocholesterolaemic vs. hypercholesterolaemic). The Panel also notes that in these studies walnuts replaced various types of dietary fats in different amounts (SFAs, MUFAs), which had variable effects on the lipid profile (Mensink et al., 2003). None of these studies controlled for the fatty acid composition of the intervention diet, and therefore it could not be assessed whether the consumption of walnuts had an effect on blood lipids beyond what could be expected from their fatty acid profile (e.g. LA and ALA content). In the systematic review by Mukuddem-Petersen et al. (2005), the predictive equation by Mensink and Katan (1992) was used to compare the actual observed changes in total and LDL-cholesterol with the predicted changes in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, based on differences in the dietary fatty acid composition in the individual nut and control diets. However, all studies on nuts included in the review were pooled for this calculation, and no particular figure for walnuts only was provided.
One observational human study addressed the association between blood cholesterol and walnuts (oil and kernel) consumption. Lavedrine at al. (1999) carried out a cross-sectional survey on 793 subjects (426 males and 367 females) aged 18-65 years, from Dauphine, France, where walnuts and walnut oil are part of the usual diet. To assess the level of walnut consumption, a food frequency questionnaire (1-year recall) was used. Blood samples were taken to measure LDL and total cholesterol. No significant differences in blood LDL or total cholesterol concentrations were observed between non- consumers, intermediate consumers and frequent consumers of walnuts and walnut oil. The Panel notes that this cross-sectional study does not show an association between walnut or walnut oil consumption and blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations.
In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that the evidence provided did not establish that consumption of walnuts had an effect on blood LDL-concentrations beyond what could be expected from their fatty acid composition and that the LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of walnuts could be attributed to their content of MUFAs and PUFAs.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of walnuts and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations beyond what could be expected from the fatty acid composition of walnuts.
A claim on the replacement of mixtures of SFAs with cis-MUFAs and/or cis-PUFAs in foods or diets and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations has already been assessed with a favourable outcome (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), 2011).
A claim on linoleic acid and maintenance of blood cholesterol concentrations (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), 2009a) and a claim on alpha-linolenic acid and maintenance of blood cholesterol concentrations (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), 2009b) have also already been assessed with favourable outcomes.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

30 g/day daily