Nuts: Almonds

The Health of It All

There have been a lot of studies showing that eating nuts
may improve cholesterol levels, but nuts have not been recommended as snacks
for people with high cholesterol. This is because they have so much fat that
researchers weren't sure how much might be good for you.

A study by Dr. David Jenkins and his colleagues compared
whole almonds as a snack with low-saturated fat whole wheat muffins. This was
included as part of a healthy diet in people with cholesterol problems. They
had both a "half-dose" and "full-dose" group for each of those eating muffins
and almonds. This consisted of either a little more than one and two ounces of
almonds or the equivalent calories in whole wheat muffins.

In the group eating almonds, there were significant reductions
in LDL cholesterol (the bad guy) as well as improvement in other fats that have
been shown to increase the risk of heart disease (including LDL:HDL ratio,
lipoprotein(a) and oxidized LDL levels).

Their conclusion is that "almonds used as snacks in the
diets of [people with high cholesterol] significantly reduce coronary heart
disease risk factors, probably in part because of the nonfat (protein and
fiber) and monounsaturated fatty acid components of the nut." That's a
mouthful. Read More "The Health of It All..." Articles