The Effects of Plant-Based Butters on

Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9

Levels
A Controlled Study
Amanda Venuto, Lauren Smith, Danielle Graziano
Background and Rationale
● Plant-based butter market is on the rise
● Nuts are known for containing heart-healthy fats (Pavlik,2017)
● A study conducted concluded that peanuts have been found to improve
weight status in adolescents; however, no further research has been done to
examine the exact effects on omega levels in the body. (Moreno, 2013)
Background and Rationale
● The general public is beginning to have a
better understanding of the benefits of
healthy fats. (Pavlik, 2017)
● Even though consuming nut butters is an
overall better alternative than butter, due
to their high caloric density
overconsumption can lead to unwanted
weight gain if not properly
monitored.(Burns,2016)
Purpose
● The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that these different nut
butters have on individual’s Omega 3, 6 and 9 levels along with cholesterol
and also review overall weight change from before and after the study.
Duration and Participants
● Number of subjects: 75
● Duration of subject participation: 1 month
● Duration of study: 5 weeks
● 1 study center used
Objectives
● The primary objective is to compare among diet groups (almond butter and
peanut butter), plant-based free diet group versus the group of people that do
not consume any nut or nut butters, the serum concentration of total
cholesterol and omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids
● The secondary objectives are to compare the BMI before and after the trial of
males and females who were selected to consume either peanut butter or
almond butter
Design
● Prospective
● Controlled
● Interventional
● Subjects are untrained University of Delaware students
Methods
● 75 students, male and female will be divided at random into three groups of
25.
● Group one: will be assigned to eating 2 tablespoons per day of a specific
peanut butter
● The second group: will be instructed to eat 2 tablespoons per day of almond
butter
● The third group: will be instructed to not incorporate any nut butters or nuts
into their diet
● Subjects will have a blood draw at the baseline visit and the conclusion of the
study at week 4
Methods
● To assess the primary objective blood will be analyzed for total cholesterol,
HDL, and omega-3, omega-6 fatty acid concentrations and the omega-
phospholipid ratio.
● This ratio compares the concentration of omega fatty acids found in the lab
work to the phospholipid concentration of the blood.
Methods
● To evaluate the secondary objective, weight will be taken before and after the
trial to determine trends of weight loss or gain amongst all three groups.
● Results will also be stratified by sex (male, female).
● Weight will be measured on a digital scale accurate to 0.1kg.
● Means and standard deviations of each group will be used to assess the
similarities and differences by treatment group.
References
● 1. Moreno JP, Johnston CA, El-Mubasher AA, et al. Peanut consumption in adolescents is associated with
improved weight status. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.). 2013;33(7):552-556.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23827129. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.05.005.
● 2. Tricia Y Li, Aoife M Brennan, Nicole M Wedick, Christos Mantzoros, Nader Rifai, Frank B Hu. Regular
consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with type 2
Diabetes1,2. The Journal of Nutrition. 2009;139(7):1333. https://search.proquest.com/docview/197461227.
● 3. Navarro Silvera SA, Mayne ST, Risch H, et al. Food group intake and risk of subtypes of esophageal and
gastric cancer. International Journal of Cancer. 2008;123(4):852-860.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.23544/abstract. doi: 10.1002/ijc.23544.
● 4. Burns AM, Zitt MA, Rowe CC, et al. Diet quality improves for parents and children when almonds are
incorporated into their daily diet: A randomized, crossover study. Nutrition Research. 2016;36(1):80-89.