A handful of nuts a day can keep heart healthy
November 15th, 2009 - 11:17 am ICT by ANIWashington, Nov 15 (ANI): A daily dose of nuts-walnuts, almonds, pistachios- can make up for a heart-healthy diet, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.
Most nuts contain some nutrients that can benefit heart health and help with cholesterol control.
They include unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, 1-arginine and plant sterols. Nuts have been shown to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) levels in the blood.
Eating nuts also can reduce the risk of developing blood clots and improve the health of the lining of the arteries.
The above benefits suggest that eating nuts, in limited amounts, may reduce the risk of heart disease, though studies haven’t yet proved this conclusively.
Almost any type of nut is nutritious — and high in calories. It is best to eat nuts in moderation, no more than a handful a day.
Also, choose unsalted or low-salt versions and use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products.
The study has been published in the latest issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource. (ANI)
Related Stories
- Eat healthy, snack on some 'skinny nut' - Dec 22, 2009
- Eat those nuts to stay healthy - Oct 06, 2009
- Eat pistachio to lower blood sugar - Jan 05, 2010
- Pistachios 'can cut lung cancer risk' - Dec 09, 2009
- Eat pistachios to cut down cancer risk (Lead) - Dec 09, 2009
- Nuts can help you cut down lung cancer risk - Dec 09, 2009
- alli may help reduce dangerous fat - Jan 28, 2010
- Macadamia nuts may cut cardiovascular risk - Apr 12, 2008
- Junk food cholesterol may pose the greatest heart disease risk - Aug 21, 2009
- Low cholesterol can increase risk to cancer: Study - Aug 06, 2009
- 3 fatty acids
- almonds
- arginine
- bad cholesterol
- blood clots
- cholesterol control
- cholesterol levels
- dairy products
- healthsource
- heart health
- heart healthy diet
- low density lipoproteins
- mayo clinic researchers
- mayo clinic women
- omega 3 fatty acids
- plant sterols
- risk of heart disease
- saturated fats
- unsaturated fats
- walnuts
Posted in Health Science, |
November 17th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Great article! Some people shy away from nuts because of their high fat content. But the fat in nuts is heart-healthy. Also, like you said, a handful a day is all you need.