More and more research findings are pointing towards nuts as an essential in the quest for a healthier heart. Till recently nuts have been blacklisted due to their high content of fat. Yet this fat, specifically mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, is now being proved to be associated with heart health. Both of these unsaturated fats have the ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol. (read more)
Nuts: traditionally, they’re part of many of the snacks we eat, and they’re an integral ingredient in many cookies, breads and other baked goods. In recent years, nuts have also been used to garnish salads, add protein and flavor to vegetable side dishes, and are a featured part of stir-fries and other ethnic dishes.
According to Hersheys.com, nuts have been, and continue to be, a staple food for many world cultures. They’re known as tree nuts and include almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts (also called filberts), macadamia nuts, pistachios and pine nuts. Peanuts, although actually legumes, often are grouped in with tree nuts and may be eaten raw or prepared in dishes, just like tree nuts, the Web site explained.
Nuts have also come into the spotlight in recent years because of their nutritional benefits, which are listed in general nutrition and health information on the Hershey.com Web site. Nuts are part of the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid, in the “Meats, Poultry, Fish, Beans Eggs and Nut group,” and one-third cup of nuts may be substituted for a one-ounce serving of cooked lean meat. Nuts are loaded with folic acid and vitamins E and B6, and minerals magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium and potassium. Although nuts are full of fat, that fat is unsaturated and may actually decrease levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. A storehouse of vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, nuts have been included in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which recommends four to five servings of nuts a week to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. (read more)
Studies looking at pecans have suggested that they have the ability to lower cholesterol, similar to other nuts such as walnuts and pistachios. These studies involved individuals with normal or high cholesterol levels following either a controlled diet or no diet specific diet at all. Although the studies involving pecans are limited, they all have suggested that pecans have the ability to lower total cholesterol levels and LDL (”bad” cholesterol) by up to 10%. (read more)
With fitness freaks stressing on fat-free healthy diet, dry fruits like cashews, almonds are in for stiff competition from the new variants popularly known as the ‘healthy nuts’ or ‘healthy dry fruits’.
“Researchers and nutritionists across the world have proved that it is wrong to stay away from nuts because of the presumed fat and cholesterol. No, doubt, nuts indeed give you fat but then hazelnuts gives you good fat,” says V N Dalmia of Dalmia Continental Private Ltd (DCPL) which is all set to market Leonardo Hazelnuts in India promoting it as a ‘healthy nut’… (read more)
People concerned about their cholesterol levels no longer have to pass on pecans. Researchers at New Mexico State University have discovered that gobbling down as much as two fistfuls per day of the smooth, oblong nut can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — the ‘bad’ cholesterol linked to heart disease.
“We discovered that pecans can have a place in a healthy diet,” lead researcher Wanda A. Morgan, PhD, RD, tells WebMD. “Pecans, in balance and moderation with other foods, can help protect us against heart disease.” The study appears in the March 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The Western Pecan Growers Association funded the study. (WebMD)
