Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium. Although on some food charts you may see nuts listed in the same food category as diary products, eggs, and red meat because of the fat content, new information calls into question this designation.
While nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia are actually low in saturated fat. Most of the fat comes in the form of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered to be acceptable forms of fat that actually "reduce" the incidence of heart and vascular disease.
Several large studies have examined the relationship between the risk of heart disease and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Study researchers found that those who reported eating nuts more than four times per week had a 50% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate nuts. The Nurses' Health Study found that heart disease risk was reduced by 35% in those who ate nuts compared with those who rarely ate nuts. An addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1/4 cup of nuts five times per week compared to those that did not eat nuts at all.
One recent study looked at almonds in particular. They examined the effects on LDL ["bad"] cholesterol values. Each person served as his own control and they were each on three different "diets": almonds representing about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR a "handful" of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containing about the same number of calories as a "full dose" of almonds]. The LDL cholesterol went down about 10% when the subjects took a "full dose" of almonds, went down about 5% with intake of a "handful" of almonds, and did not go down at all with eating a muffin. In those with the higher "dose" of almonds, the "ratio" of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL ratio] went down by 12%.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes nuts [including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may help to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a very healthy "snack". However, they also warn that they are a source of calories and should not be used to great excess in those with calorie restricted diets and that you should avoid nuts with added oils or added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat [or non-fat] diary products, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to your diet, just be sure that you don't inadvertently add considerable total calories - despite the benefits of nuts, maintaining an ideal body weight is more important. Weight is often a simple lesson in physics - what comes in either stays [as increased pounds] or is used up for energy and metabolism [which is increased by a regular exercise program].
Dr. John Rumberger's experince in the field is extensive, and includes achieving his doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow.
He then continued his education into medicine, in 1978 he became a M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida. Since then, he has pioneered how the medical field views the process of blood flow through the heart. From my appointment as professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio. He has just completed his book The WAY Diet available on amazon.com or direct through the publisher at http://www.emptycanoe.com
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of... Read More
Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten... Read More
The concept isometric has been a part of the health... Read More
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams,... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
What is Cholesterol?Before we go into how to reduce your... Read More
Do you know anyone who can't consume milk or milk-based... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
Many people use sugar as medicine. Sugar tends to change... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Do you need omega 3 fatty acid in your diet?... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
NutrientsFat, Sugar, Sodium and CarbohydrateThe sections on a food label... Read More
Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through... Read More
Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart... Read More
Food addiction isn't a problem. Pretending like you can't live... Read More
FOOD (Macro-nutrients)One of the most important aspects of hill walking... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
While there are many effective ways to get more energy... Read More
The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams,... Read More
1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority... Read More
According to the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis... Read More
I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More
The quality of food we eat (or lack thereof) has... Read More
Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family,... Read More
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More
THE RISKThe primary symptom of acid reflux is obvious to... Read More
Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More
Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More
These are questions we have to ask ourselves? because after... Read More
1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More
What if there was a combination of foods that were... Read More
Better sleep = better metabolism. I have been saying it... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
Nutrition |