May/June 2001 Alternative Health
Going Nuts Might
Be Good For You
by Peter Jaret
Eating nuts is a powerful defense against heart disease. This is
the strongly convincing conclusion of a number of long-term studies
reported in respected medical journals. Frank Hu, MD, PhD, the lead
researcher on a study from the Harvard School of Public Health published
the findings from the Nurses' Health Study, covering more than 86,000
women from around the country. (British Medical Journal, November
1998)
They found that women who ate more than five ounces of nuts a day
had a 32% lower risk of having a nonfatal heart attack compared
to women who avoided nuts, and a 39% lower risk of a fatal heart
attack.
This confirms the Iowa Women's Study, published in The New England
Journal of Medicine in 1996, which showed that eating nuts was associated
with a 40% reduction in heart disease risk, and an earlier Seventh
Day Adventist Study of 34,000 men and women showing that both fatal
and nonfatal heart attacks were half as likely among nut eaters
non-nut eaters.
Heart-healthy oils
Cashews, almonds, and peanuts are loaded with monounsaturated fats,
and walnuts are rich in a form of omega 3 fatty acids, similar to
the oils found in fish like salmon. These fats have been shown to
lower LDLs [low density lipoproteins], and, together with nuts’
high fiber content, have been shown to help keep cholesterol levels
down. Nuts are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, being, in fact,
“perhaps the best natural source of vitamin E," according
to the scientists in a Loma Linda University study published in
the July 1999 issue of Clinical Cardiology.
Other nutritional benefits
Nutritionists also have long known that nuts are a great source
of protein. Indeed, the protein in nuts is unusually rich in an
amino acid called arginine, which may also be linked to its heart
benefits. Arginine makes possible the synthesis of nitric oxide,
which widens and relaxes blood vessels according to Gene Spiller,
PhD, founder of the Health Research and Studies Center in Palo Alto,
Calif., and the author of Healthy Nuts. That, in turn, may
reduce the danger of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks.
Nuts may even have something in common with red wine, which, consumed
in moderation, has also been shown to lower heart disease risk.
Last year, researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in
Raleigh, N.C., announced that peanuts contain resveratrol, the same
compound found in red wine that is thought to impart much of its
heart benefits. An ounce of red wine contains about 160 micrograms
of resveratrol; two ounces of peanuts contain about the same amount.
The new diet snack
The latest findings offer one last surprise, and perhaps the best
news of all for nut lovers. Despite being high in fat, cashews,
almonds, pecans, and other nuts don't seem to make people fat. When
volunteers in the Loma Linda study added a snack of almonds totaling
320 calories a day to their normal diets, for example, their body
weight remained the same. Furthermore, in the Nurses' Health Study,
Hu and his colleagues found that women who ate nuts frequently actually
tended to weigh less than those who didn't. That may be because
nuts are so rich in nutrients and fiber that they tend to fill people
up on fewer calories than, say, a bag of chips or cheese doodles.
So if you're watching your weight, a handful of nuts is a terrific
substitute for less nutritious and less satisfying snacks. And thanks
to the latest research findings, you can enjoy them with nary a
pang of guilt.
Ed. Note: Nutritionists say raw, unsalted nuts are vastly preferable
to those that are salted, roasted in oil, etc., as processing them
can seriously impair their nutritional value. Keep shelled nuts
in the refrigerator or freezer to retain their vitality. Almonds
are one of the best choices. Try them soaked in water for one to
three days, changing the water every day. This makes them readily
digestible and delicious!