Originally published October 7 2005
Expert reviews the many nutritional benefits of nuts
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Dietitian Jennifer Motl shares recipes and dietary secrets about nuts, gathering interesting information from various nut-related studies conducted at universities and looking at the relative values of diets like the Mediterranean or the Canadian Portfolio Eating Plan.
If you snack on a handful of nuts, you may find that's all you need.
When a group of Californians was advised to add almonds to their meals, most added nearly 2 ounces of almonds, or about 42 nuts.
Interestingly, they also ate lower amounts of artery-clogging trans fats, animal protein, sodium, cholesterol and sugars.
Nuts are rich sources of heart-healthy fats, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E. The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet includes nuts, as does the newer Canadian Portfolio Eating Plan.
Nuts contain oleic acid, an unsaturated, heart-healthy fat also found in olive oil.
Several studies found that eating 50 to 100g of nuts daily can reduce cholesterol levels from 2 percent to 20 percent.
Walnuts in particular contain high levels of the omega-3 fat, known as ALA.
Although this may sound like gobbledygook, omega-3 fats are important because they seem to help the body quell inflammation that can lead to heart disease and cancer.
The average American diet is a 20-to-1 ratio, which may contribute to the high risk of heart disease and cancer.
You can get that by eating cup of walnuts, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed oil or 2 tablespoons of canola oil.
An Australian study in which people at an ounce of walnuts five days a week and had fatty fish twice a week showed they were able to reduce the "bad" LDL cholesterol by 10 percent.
Along with helping to ward off heart disease, nuts and other foods rich in magnesium may reduce the risk of diabetes, by 33 percent.
People who eat the most magnesium have the lowest risk of diabetes, according to Harvard scientists who followed nearly 128,000 people for 18 years.
In the fall, I love to eat roasted acorn squash stuffed with bread crumbs, a little butter, chopped pecans and dried cranberries.
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