If you avoid nuts because of their fat and calorie content, you may be missing out on a delicious way to improve your health. The fats, fiber and nutrients found in nuts reduces your risk of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels and decreasing your risk of developing blood clots, according to MayoClinic.com. Any nut makes a healthy addition to your diet, but certain nuts stand out as being especially heart healthy.
Walnuts
Walnuts, with their high omega-3 content, makes one of your healthier nut choices. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that reduce internal inflammation, lower blood cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure. Eating 14 walnut halves a day can help you meet your daily omega-3 needs. Including walnuts in your diet has been shown to improve your blood lipid levels. A 2010 randomized-crossover study published in the "European Journal of Nutrition" investigated the effects of a diet supplemented with walnuts versus a habitual diet that included walnuts on serum lipid levels in a group of 87 subjects with normal to moderately high blood cholesterol levels. The study found that the subjects with the highest cholesterol levels following the habitual diet with 12 percent of their calories coming from walnuts had a significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels.
Almonds
Almonds also make a healthy nut choice. A 1 oz. serving of almonds meets 35 percent of your daily vitamin E needs. As an antioxidant, vitamin E protects your cell membranes from free-radical oxidation and may offer protection against aging, heart disease and certain types of cancers. Vitamin E rich foods may also reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to Alice Henneman at the University of Nebraska.
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts may be one of the highest calorie nut choices, with 200 calories per 1 oz. serving versus the 163 calories in a 1 oz. serving of almonds and 185 calories in a 1 oz. serving of walnuts, but these high monounsaturated nuts can lower your blood cholesterol levels. A 2008 randomized, crossover, controlled-feeding study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" compared the effects of a macadamia nut-rich diet against a typical American diet on lipid levels in a group of 25 subjects with high blood cholesterol levels. The research showed a reduction in total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels in the group after completing the five-week macadamia-enriched diet.
Brazil Nuts
Including Brazil nuts in your diet can offer protection against heart disease and cancer. A 1 oz. serving of Brazil nuts meets 780 percent of your daily value for selenium. People with diets high in selenium have lower rates of cancer, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. As an antioxidant, selenium offers protection against cancer, but it can also decrease tumor growth. Its antioxidant properties also prevents the oxidation of LDL and the buildup of plaque in your arteries, which can help protect against heart disease.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Nuts and Your Heart; Eating Nuts for Heart Health
- University of Nebraska: Nuts for Nutrition
- Journal of Nutrition: A Macadamia Nut-Rich Diet Reduces Total and LDL-Cholesterol in Mildly Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Selenium
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Long-term Walnut Supplementation Without Dietary Advice Induces Favorable Serum Lipid Changes in Free-Living Individuals
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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