Snack Your Way to Health With Nuts

(NaturalNews) Eating a diet high in walnuts may decrease cholesterol and fight inflammation, two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."Consumption of nuts has been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease events and death," the researchers wrote. "Walnuts in particular have a unique profile: they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors."Walnuts are also considered good dietary sources of fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin E and other antioxidants. Researchers analyzed the results of 13 different studies conducted on a total of 365 participants who had obtained between 10 and 24 percent of their calories from walnuts for four to 24 weeks. They found that participants on a high-walnut diet underwent significant decreases in total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol."When compared with control diets, diets supplemented with walnuts resulted in a significantly greater decrease in total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol concentrations," the researchers wrote.The researchers also found other indicators that even though a high-walnut diet is high in fat, it seems to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease rather than raising it."Other results reported in the trials indicated that walnuts provided significant benefits for certain antioxidant capacity and inflammatory markers and had no adverse effects on body weight," the researchers wrote.The researchers called for "larger and longer-term trials" to further understand the heart benefits of nut-rich diets.Prior studies have linked diets high in nuts and berries to a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms related to cardiovascular disease. Other nuts previously linked to improved cardiovascular health include macadamia nuts and almonds.Diets high in walnuts may also reduce the risk of breast cancer, studies show.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat a healthier diet, snacking can be a huge problem. No matter how hard you try to plan your day out and have healthy meals on hand, there are always times where you just need a snack. Pistachio nuts are a snack that can provide great nutrition and get you through to your next meal without a lot of calories. They taste great too. Pistachios have over 30 vitamins and nutrients including vitamin B6, copper, manganese, thiamin, dietary fiber and protein. They also have a high amount of antioxidants and are the only nut to have significant amounts of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.Pistachio nuts have also been shown to improve cardiovascular health. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pistachios may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels. The pistachio nut is low in calories which makes it an ideal choice for a healthy snack. It is often called the "skinny nut" because it has fewer calories and less fat than many other nuts. It also has protein and dietary fiber which help you feel full which is exactly what you need when you are eating a snack. A handful of pistachio nuts can get you through to the next healthy meal with very few calories and a whole lot of taste.Lastly, there is a psychological reason that pistachio nuts make a great snack. If you eat pistachios that are still in the shell, you will be forced to eat them slowly. This way you will only eat what you need to satisfy your hunger and not keep eating because you are bored or nervous. The shells also give a reminder of how many nuts you have eaten. Since snacking is often psychological as much as it is hunger, pistachio nuts are a great weapon against excessive snacking. When you put everything together, it is easy to see why pistachio nuts can be a great snack. Put a handful in a bag and keep them handy for whenever you feel the urge to snack. They really can help you snack your way to health. If you want to get the benefits of pistachios more frequently than snack time, you can add them to cereal, put them on yogurt, or use them in main dishes. You can find recipes for pistachio dishes at many sites on the Internet.