The NuttyBlog : Nutty News and Updates from JW Renfroe Pecan Co

Walnuts, already shown in some studies to reduce ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol, may have yet another way of enhancing cardiovascular health that will interest many senior citizens.

University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) scientists and their Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Padova (Italy) co-investigators have found that laboratory hamsters that ate feed containing walnuts had significantly lower levels of a natural chemical called endothelin. The compound causes inflammation of arteries and growth of sticky deposits—called plaque—on blood vessels. These conditions contribute to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

In this six-and-one-half-month study of about 100 hamsters, walnuts apparently suppressed heart artery endothelin. Walnuts had that effect at all levels tested, which were the equivalent of a human eating from three to eight handfuls of walnuts a day. (Senior Journal)