Originally published January 10 2006
Studies suggest nuts provide great benefits to the heart
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
USA Today reviews recent studies that have evaluated the health benefits of nuts, and many now claim that the heart benefits of eating nuts are substantial.
This holiday season, it's OK to go nuts --- as in walnuts, almonds and pecans.
Nuts have always had a place in seasonal baked goods, as party snacks and even as Christmas stocking stuffers.
Since 2003, the Food and Drug Administration has allowed labels for most nuts to say that there is good evidence they lower the risk of heart disease.
A word on allergy Nut allergies, especially peanut allergies, are common, and reactions can be severe.
One study this fall found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that also included the healthy fats found in nuts, avocados and olive oil was more effective at controlling heart risks than a traditional, higher-carbohydrate heart-healthy diet.
And a study in mice with Alzheimer's-like symptoms hinted that almonds might be a potent brain booster.
"Nuts are just loaded with nutrients that we don't get enough of in our typical American diets," says Cynthia Sass, a Tampa registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA).
For example, walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a major role in heart and immune-system health.
You get protein, you get minerals, you get healthy fat and fiber," says Lisa Dorfman, a registered dietitian in Miami and ADA spokeswoman.
You feel like you're cheating, but you're not."
But before you inhale that bag of pistachios, order a second slice of pecan pie or consume a tin of your mom's peanut brittle, use some common sense: Nuts are a calorie-dense food and often are paired with ingredients such as salt, butter and sugar.
So eat your nuts straight, and no more than an ounce or so a day (a golf ball's worth, suggest Dorfman and Sass).
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