"We were quite impressed," says Jenkins. "If you look at the ratio of LDL to HDL (high-density lipoprotein, the good cholesterol), the reduction was 7.8 percent for the half dose and 12 percent for the full dose by the fourth week. That ratio is very important in assessing cardiovascular risk."
The patients' cholesterol levels did not significantly drop after the muffin phase.
Jenkins says that practitioners should encourage patients to eat almonds as part of a healthy balanced diet as long as they are natural or "dry roasted" without added oils or salts.
Nuts do not have cholesterol and are a good source of protein, according to the American Heart Association. However, the association stresses that the potential benefits of nuts may be negated if they are added rather than substituted for other foods in the diet. While nuts and seeds tend to be very high in fat and calories, most of the fat is polyunsaturated or monounsaturated (e.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts).
Participants in this study were carefully counseled on how to use nuts in place of other foods in the diet.
Nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia and pistachios, have been shown to lower blood cholesterol, Jenkins says. The combination of monounsaturates with some polyunsaturates in nuts is an ideal combination of fats, he says. Although, there is not enough research to say that all nuts are equal in their health value, almonds have particularly well researched profiles, he says. "This study suggests that replacing carbohydrates with monounsaturated fat
within the context of a diet that is low in saturated, trans fat and cholesterol favorably affects cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk," says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., vice-chair of the aociation's nutrition committee.
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Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
19-Aug-2002