Originally published December 10 2009Originally published December 10 2009
by David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Eating a diet high in walnuts
may decrease cholesterol and fight inflammation, two major risk factors for
cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from
Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
"Consumption of nuts has been associated with a decreased risk of
cardiovascular disease events and death," the researchers wrote.
"Walnuts in particular have a unique profile: they are rich in
polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular
disease risk factors."
Walnuts are also considered good dietary sources of fiber, magnesium, B
vitamins, vitamin E and other antioxidants.
Researchers analyzed the results of 13 different studies conducted on a total of
365 participants who had obtained between 10 and 24 percent of their calories
from walnuts for four to
24 weeks. They found that participants on a high-walnut diet underwent
significant decreases in total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
"When compared with control diets,
diets supplemented with walnuts resulted in a significantly greater decrease in
total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol concentrations," the researchers
wrote.
The researchers also found other indicators that even though a high-walnut diet
is high in fat, it seems to lower the risk
of cardiovascular disease
rather than raising it.
"Other results reported in the trials indicated that walnuts provided
significant benefits for certain antioxidant
capacity and inflammatory markers and had no adverse effects on body
weight," the researchers wrote.
The researchers called for "larger and longer-term trials" to further
understand the heart benefits of nut-rich diets.
Prior studies have linked diets high in nuts
and berries to a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms
related to cardiovascular disease. Other nuts previously linked to improved
cardiovascular health include macadamia nuts and almonds.
Diets high in walnuts may also reduce the risk of breast cancer, studies show.
Sources for this story include: www.foodnavigator-usa.com.
www.ajcn.org.