Nuts To You... Just One Way to a Healthy Heart

Nuts are readily available and provide a highlywent down about 5% with intake of a "handful" of
nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate,almonds, and did not go down at all with eating a
and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients:muffin. In those with the higher "dose" of almonds,
fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium.the "ratio" of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL ratio]
Although on some food charts you may see nutswent down by 12%.The American Heart Association
listed in the same food category as diary products,(AHA) recognizes nuts [including almonds, walnuts,
eggs, and red meat because of the fat content, newpecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may
information calls into question this designation.Whilehelp to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a
nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nutsvery healthy "snack". However, they also warn that
such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazilthey are a source of calories and should not be used
nuts, and macadamia are actually low in saturated fat.to great excess in those with calorie restricted diets
Most of the fat comes in the form ofand that you should avoid nuts with added oils or
monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids,added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall
which are considered to be acceptable forms of fatbalanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and
that actually "reduce" the incidence of heart andwhole grains, and includes low-fat [or non-fat] diary
vascular disease.Several large studies have examinedproducts, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to
the relationship between the risk of heart diseaseyour diet, just be sure that you don't inadvertently
and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plantadd considerable total calories - despite the benefits
sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Studyof nuts, maintaining an ideal body weight is more
researchers found that those who reported eatingimportant. Weight is often a simple lesson in physics -
nuts more than four times per week had a 50%what comes in either stays [as increased pounds] or
lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ateis used up for energy and metabolism [which is
nuts. The Nurses' Health Study found that heartincreased by a regular exercise program].Dr. John
disease risk was reduced by 35% in those who ateRumberger's experince in the field is extensive, and
nuts compared with those who rarely ate nuts. Anincludes achieving his doctorate in 1976
addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes(Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied
went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus,
4 cup of nuts five times per week compared toOhio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of
those that did not eat nuts at all.One recent studyCoronary Artery Blood Flow.He then continued his
looked at almonds in particular. They examined theeducation into medicine, in 1978 he became a M.D.
effects on LDL ["bad"] cholesterol values. Eachgraduating from the School of Medicine at the
person served as his own control and they wereUniversity of Miami, Florida.
each on three different "diets": almonds representingSince then, he has pioneered how the medical field
about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR aviews the process of blood flow through the heart.
"handful" of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containingFrom my appointment as professor at the Mayo
about the same number of calories as a "full dose" ofClinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the
almonds]. The LDL cholesterol went down about 10%HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio.
when the subjects took a "full dose" of almonds,