Going Nuts over Cholesterol

Dietary interventions to lower blood cholesterol concentrations and to modify blood lipoprotein levels are the cornerstone of prevention and treatment plans for coronary heart disease

Epidemiological* studies have consistently associated nut consumption with reduced risk for coronary heart disease.

Drs Joan Sabaté, Keiji Oda and Emilio Ros pooled primary data from 25 nut consumption trials conducted in seven countries which investigated the effects of nut consumption on blood lipid levels. All the studies compared a control group to a group assigned to consume nuts; participants were not taking lipid-lowering medications.

"The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects on blood lipid levels," the authors write. "The effects of nut consumption were significantly modified by LDL-C, body mass index and diet type: the lipid-lowering effects of nut consumption were greatest among subjects with high baseline LDL-C and with low body mass index and among those consuming Western diets."

The results support the inclusion of nuts in therapeutic dietary interventions for improving blood cholesterol levels.

Nuts are a whole food that have been consumed by humans throughout history. Increasing the consumption of nuts as part of an otherwise prudent diet can be expected to favorably affect blood lipid levels (at least in the short term) and have the potential to lower coronary heart disease risk.

Journal Reference

Joan Sabaté, Keiji Oda and Emilio Ros. Nut Consumption and Blood Lipid Levels: A Pooled Analysis of 25 Intervention Trials. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(9):821-827.

* Epidemiology is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why. Epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness and as a guide to the management of patients in whom disease has already developed. http://www.bmj.com/epidem/epid.1.html

If You're Nuts About Health..

Which nuts are the best to lower your cholesterol?

Healthy nuts, such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts, contain high amounts of unsaturated fat -- or “good” fats -- which help lower total cholesterol levels and LDL -- or “bad” cholesterol -- levels. When trying to decide which nuts are the best to eat, look at the amount of unsaturated fats in each one. Ideally, high amounts of unsaturated fats and lower amounts of saturated fat should be found in the nuts.

Of the different types of nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and pistachios appear to have the highest amounts of unsaturated fats and lowest amounts of saturated fats. Even peanuts, one of the most beloved nuts in the bunch, also contain high amounts of unsaturated fat and lower amounts of saturated fat. Although their unsaturated fat profile encourages heart health, farmers have now developed a way to grow high-oleic peanuts. These high-oleic peanuts have a higher content of unsaturated fat and lower content of saturated fat when compared with regular peanuts. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given approval these nuts, in addition to almonds, to receive a ”heart-healthy” distinction on their labeling.

While macadamia nuts and brazil nuts contain high amounts of unsaturated fats, they also contain higher amounts of saturated fats when compared to other nuts. Because of this, they are not allowed the “heart-healthy” distinction on their labeling. Nonetheless, the amount of saturated fats in these nuts is low in comparison to what you would find in other, high fat snacks such as chips and cookies.

So, if are looking for a healthy snack to keep your hunger at bay, a handful of any type of nut will do. Not only do nuts contain a high amount of unsaturated fat, they also contain phytosterols, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.

By Jennifer Moll, About.com Guide, November 02, 2009

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