Dietary cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of heart disease. The Harvard School of Public Health says a lowfat, low-cholesterol diet may help you prevent or manage heart disease. Nuts are low in saturated fats, and high in soluble dietary fiber and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, according to the USDA. Research by Amy Griel published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" reports that various types of tree nuts lower cholesterol levels.
Walnuts
Compared to most other nuts, which contain monounsaturated fatty acids, walnuts are unique because they are also rich in both omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to the "Journal of Nutrition." Researchers reviewed five controlled, peer-reviewed, human clinical walnut intervention trials that involved adults in the United States at risk of coronary heart disease. They found that walnuts as part of a heart-healthy diet lower blood cholesterol concentrations. Coronary artery disease is also associated with dysfunction of the endothelium, the cells that line the interior of the arteries, which may be reversed by omega-3 fatty acids from walnuts. Research published in "Circulation" discovered that substituting walnuts for monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, in a Mediterranean diet improves the widening of arteries in subjects with high cholesterol, in part because walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants
Almonds
Almonds are superb nuts for a low-cholesterol diet. The USDA says that almonds are low in saturated fat and a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant, and numerous minerals, such as calcium, potassium, zinc, copper and phytonutrients. Research in the "Journal of Nutrition" found that both whole almonds and almond oil significantly decrease blood levels of total and LDL-cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, and increase levels of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol.
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts are a popular snack food. Research in the "Journal of Nutrition" demonstrated that consumption of macadamia nuts as part of a healthy diet favorably reduces blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, by 3.0 and 5.3 percent, respectively, and increases HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, by 7.9 percent in men who have high levels of total cholesterol. Furthermore, the research supports the consumption of macadamia nuts as part of a healthy diet if you have high cholesterol.
Pecans
Pecans are primarily grown on trees in the southeast and southwest regions of the United States. The USDA says pecans are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium zinc and dietary fiber. Research in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" found that pecans lower total and LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, in adults with normal cholesterol levels.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, in with the Good
- United States Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Tree Nuts and the Lipid Profile: A Review of Clinical Studies; Griel, A.E.; Nov 2006
- "Journal of Nutrition"; The Scientific Evidence for a Beneficial Health Relationship between Walnuts and Coronary Heart Disease; Feldman, E.B.; May 2002
- "Circulation"; A Walnut Diet Improves Endothelial Function in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Randomized Crossover Trial; Ros, E.; Apr 6 2004
