Walnuts Can Cut Cholesterol, Report Harvard Researchers

A Meta-Analysis of Walnuts by Harvard Scientists Has Found Diets Rich in Walnuts Can Significantly Reduce Cholesterol Levels, Supporting Growing Evidence to Suggest These Popular Nuts Can Improve Healthy Blood Lipid Ratios.

However the scientists suggested that larger and longer-term trials are needed to observe the effects of eating walnuts, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, on cardiovascular risk and weight management.

Their analysis joins an ever- expanding body of science that has linked nut consumption - including almonds and macadamias - to improvements in cardiovascular health.

Coronary heart disease places a significant financial burden throughout the world, more and more each year. Governments, scientists and the food industry continue to invest time and money in pinpointing potential dietary solutions that could improve cardiovascular health.

Published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Harvard researchers conducted the meta-analysis to estimate the effect of walnuts on blood lipids. Literature databases were searched for published trials that compared a specifically walnut-enhanced diet with a control diet.

"We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of weighted mean differences of lipid outcomes," said the scientists.

The 13 studies selected represented some 365 participants, with diets lasting between four and 24 weeks and walnuts providing between 10 and 24 per cent of total calories.

When compared with control diets, diets supplemented with walnuts resulted in a significantly greater decrease in total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol concentrations, the Harvard researchers reported.

Further, the meta-analysis results suggested a wide range of potential health benefits contained in walnuts.

"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," stated the researchers.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

May 2009, Volume 90, Pages 56-63, "Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis and systematic review"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Evidence That Vinegar May Be An Effective Natural Fat-fighter

Image
Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar, a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods, may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Vinegar has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research now suggests that ACETIC ACID, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation. Their new study showed that laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet and given Acetic Acid developed significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than other mice. Most significantly, the new research adds evidence to the belief that Acetic Acid fights fat by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. The genes produce specific proteins involved in breaking down fats, thus suppressing body
Read more

Curcumin Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk In Women Exposed To Hormone Replacement Therapy

Image
Previous studies have found that postmenopausal women who have taken a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy have increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy. Approximately 6 million women in the United States use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause; This exposure to progestin will predispose a large number of post-menopausal women to future development of breast cancer. The results of a new study show that women could potentially take curcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors. In the study, researchers found that curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model. Curcumin also prevented the
Read more

Gotu Kola Is A Powerful Rejuvenative Herb With Many Benefits

Image
Growing in fertile areas of the Himalayas, Gotu Kola is regarded as one of the most important rejuvenative herbs in Ayurvedic Medicine. It is said to fortify the immune system, and to strengthen the adrenal glands. It has been used as a nutritive, purifying tonic for helping maintain healthy skin. Gotu Kola is often confused with Kola nut. Due to this confusion, some people assume the rejuvenating properties of Gotu Kola are due to the stimulating effects of caffeine contained in Kola Nut. In fact, Gotu Kola is not related to Kola Nut and contains no caffeine. Gotu Kola is a rejuvenative nervine recommended for nervous disorders and as a brain tonic to aid mental functioning and memory. It has also been used to promote restful sleep. It strengthens the adrenal glands while cleansing the blood to treat skin impurities. It is said to help combat stress, energize mental powers, increase libido and improve reflexes. Ayurvedic herbal medicine practitioners believe it energizes the centra
Read more