Nuts have been identified as a great source of protein, healthy fats, and other essential vitamins by nutritionists.
In a new study conducted by scientists from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it was revealed that eating several small servings of nuts each week may significantly lower your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Nuts are essentially rich in vitamin E, a fat-soluble nutrient that functions as an antioxidant to protect your cells against oxidative damage. This vitamin also supports immune function and cellular communication.
An amazing result of a recently conducted nutrition study also shows that regular nut eaters are less likely to get heart attacks or pass away from the disease than those who consume nuts seldom.
Several of the largest cohort studies, including the Adventist Study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, and the Physicians’ Health Study have shown a consistent 30 percent to 50 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, or cardiovascular disease associated with eating nuts several times a week.
The FDA also permits the claim, “Eating a diet that contains one ounce of nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease,” to be placed on selected nuts and goods manufactured with them.
There are several ways in which these results could be gotten from nuts. The unsaturated fats they contain help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
One group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, the omega-3 fatty acids, appears to prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms. Omega-3 fatty acids (which are also found in fatty fish such as salmon and bluefish) may also prevent blood clots, much as aspirin does.
The study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined information from more than 210,000 medical specialists who were tracked over 32 years.
They found that, compared with those who never or almost never ate nuts, people who ate one ounce of nuts five or more times per week had a 14 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease during the study period.
Both peanuts (technically a legume, but nutritionally similar to nuts) and walnuts were linked with lower disease risk
Other Health Benefits of Nuts
- Improves artery health
- Lowers the risk of high blood pressure
- Lowers unhealthy cholesterol levels, specifically low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, which can clog arteries.
- May reduce inflammation
- May aid in weight loss
- High in beneficial fiber
