World's Leading Nutrition Researchers Discuss Future Lines of Research on Nuts and Dried Fruit at NUTS 2025

REUS, Spain, Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading health researchers from around the world have identified new priorities and directions in nut and dried fruit research, highlighting the growing body of evidence linking their consumption to improved metabolic health, cardiovascular health, fertility, the immune system, bone health, and brain function. The experts also explored emerging findings on the gut microbiome and biomarkers of nut consumption.

These findings emerged from the NUTS 2025 conference, held on October 9–10, 2025, and hosted by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC). The event was organized by Rovira i Virgili University, the Pere Virgili Institute of Health Research, and CIBERobn, and chaired by Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Chairman of the World Forum for Nutrition Research and Dissemination.

The experts presented the latest research on nuts and dried fruit in relation to the main health challenges faced by the population, as well as possible underlying mechanisms.

During the event, an update of the NUTPOOL study, funded by the INC, was presented. This global initiative combines data from around one million individuals from different cohorts to strengthen the scientific evidence on the health benefits of nut consumption. Discussions also explored the pathway to obtaining a health claim for nuts in the United States as the initial priority, with plans to later expand efforts to other regions.

Looking ahead, researchers identified diabetes prevention as the top priority for future research, followed by cognitive function and gut microbiota. In this context and given the existing scientific evidence suggesting that nuts may have effects on glucose metabolism, a potential international multicenter trial was proposed to explore the benefits of nut consumption in diabetes prevention. A study of this kind would be pivotal in enabling the modification of official dietary guidelines from scientific societies and public health institutions to recommend nut consumption not only for cardiovascular benefits but also for diabetes prevention. This would also support obtaining an official health claim.

"This international meeting brought together 28 top researchers from across the globe to review what we know about nuts and dried fruit — and, crucially, to define where the science needs to go next," said Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó.

Goretti Guasch, Executive Director of the INC, added: "Nutrition research is at the core of the INC's mission. Strengthening the scientific evidence on the health benefits of nuts is essential to promoting their consumption worldwide."

For more information on the event, please visit the NUTS 2025 webpage: https://nuts2025.com.