I learned a few things about nuts and people. First, some people are very passionate about their nuts. Also, people seem to feel peanuts are the least healthy nuts and perceive them as degrading. What I thought was good news is that most people recognised that the nuts were often salted and felt healthy mixes should have less salt or no salt.
The bottom line, based on the research evidence, is that all nuts are a very healthy choice. Many new clinical studies highlight heart-related benefits of nuts. For example, adding 30 grammes per day of nuts a little over an ounce to a Mediterranean diet lowers risk of heart disease by 30 per cent.
Based on the research, here’s a breakdown of the links between nuts and heart disease, and what makes nuts heart healthy. I hope this will help you make tough choices, such as which nut mix to purchase.
Almonds lower body fat
Adding almonds to your diet lowers your bad cholesterol, which is involved in creating plaques in your coronary arteries that can cause heart attacks. Almonds lower LDL in a dose-dependent manner. This means that by increasing the amount of almonds you eat, you can further lower your LDL. Clinical diet studies show almonds can also reduce your risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. Even if you have diabetes, adding almonds to your diet can improve your sensitivity to insulin.
Almonds can also increase your likelihood of losing weight. In one study, adding 84 gm, or about three ounces of almonds a day to a planned diet improved weight loss and resulted in a 14 per cent decrease in waist circumference. A study published in 2015 looked at cholesterol and body fat in people who ate 1.5 oz of almonds a day versus a healthy muffin with similar calories. In only six weeks, people who consumed almonds had lower LDL cholesterol by an average of 5 mg/dL. They also had less belly fat and leg fat.
There are also several studies showing that eating almonds lowers body inflammation. If you are looking to shrink your waist and improve your cholesterol, start by adding some almonds to your diet.
Walnuts keep arteries clear
Most nuts contain a high concentration of healthy fat. Walnuts are composed of 47 per cent polyunsaturated fatty acids, thought of as “good fats.” But while most nuts contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts are the only ones with a significant amount of a certain type called alpha-linoleic acid.
Alpha-linoleic acid acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and has actually been shown to help reduce plaque buildup in coronary arteries. Eating walnuts has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and the function of the small arteries and vessels within our bodies.
Recently, a study looking people who consumed 43 gm of walnuts every day found the nuts reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels. However this study showed something even more important, in my view. Consumption of walnuts reduced the level of apolipoprotein B, which is a strong genetic risk factor for coronary artery disease.
If you are at high risk for coronary artery disease or already have it, consider adding walnuts to your diet.
The truth about peanuts
In my grocery store experiment, peanuts took a beating. However, many studies show eating peanuts, including peanut butter, can reduce heart risk. In the Nurse’s Health Study, those women who consumed peanuts and peanut butter lowered their risk of heart disease by 34 per cent. The greatest benefit was in those who ate peanuts multiple times a week.
Eating peanuts and peanut butter has also been shown to lower risk of diabetes in both lean and overweight women. Finally, like many other nuts, peanuts as an alternative food source for your protein needs can lower your cholesterol, particularly when added to other healthy diet choices.
If you are like the people in my study, perhaps you are asking: Are peanuts better than the others I have mentioned?
A recent study looked at this question, specifically diets rich in peanuts versus tree nuts. This study shed some light on the potential greater benefit of tree nuts compared to peanuts. In 803 adults, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, and cholesterol where all better controlled in those who had a high intake of tree nuts.
However, if you ate a lot of tree nuts, it didn’t seem to matter how many peanuts you ate. Like the other trials mentioned in this section, this one showed that eating peanuts was better than not eating nuts, peanuts or other nuts, in regard to better blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The most striking difference in the study was that high consumption of tree nuts did not increase risk of abdominal obesity, whereas high consumption of peanuts alone did.
Can you eat too many nuts?
The answer is yes, absolutely. The best approach to eating nuts is moderation. Nuts are very good sources of energy, and if you eat too much you can gain weight and offset the heart benefits.
One thing to keep in mind is that some people can experience dangerous allergic reactions to nuts. If you have a potential allergy or a family history of nut allergies, don’t consider using nuts until you talk with your doctor.
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