There is a general belief that nuts contain lots of fats and are therefore, harmful for heart. However, contrary to this, evidence continues to accumulate that eating nuts is healthy for heart and may prolong life. Several large studies have shown that consuming nuts several times a week leads to 30% to 50% lower risk of heart attack and sudden death. In fact by 2003, the published data was so compelling that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of US issued a formal statement suggesting that eating nuts such as almond. Walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. could reduce the incidence of heart disease.
Recent Evidence
A 30-year follow-up study from Harward showed that people who ate handful of nuts everyday were 20% less likely to die during the study period. The risk of dying from heart disease decreased by 29% and the risk of dying from cancer by 11% in daily nut-eaters compared with those who never consumed nuts. Consumption of nuts less than once a week reduced the risk of death by 7%, Once a week by 11%, 2-4times a week by 13%, and 7 or more times a week by 20%. The authors concluded that about 24 almonds, 18 cashew nuts or 35 peanuts a day should do the trick.
What in Nuts That Helps the Heart
Most nuts contain majority of the following heart-healthy ingredients.
- Fats. Almost 80% of a nut is fat. Most of this fat is good and healthy fat which helps to lower bad cholesterol levels.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Many nuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which appear to prevent the development of irregular heart beat disorders.
- Fiber. All nuts contain fiber which helps to lower cholesterol. It is also considered to play a role in preventing diabetes.
How Can Nuts Help to Prevent Heart Attack.
There are several ways by which nuts could exert their beneficial effects on heart : (1) Reducing bad (LDL) and increasing good (HDL) cholesterol level in the blood. (2) Omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent blood clothing which can precipitate a fatal heart attack. (3) Widening of blood vessels (4) Preventing disorder of heart beat.
How Much Nuts Are Considered Healthy
Since nuts contain 80% fat, eating nuts adds to calories; therefore consumption of nuts should be in moderation, and as a substitute for calories from other sources, particularly saturated fats. According to FDA, eating approximately 1.5 ounces (approximately 42 grams) a day of nuts such as almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, wal-nuts, pecans, or pistachio may be sufficient to reduce the risk of heart disease. Considering, an average almond weighs about 1.2 to 1.5 gms, consumption of 25-30 almonds a day is generally optimum for heart protection.
Are All Nuts the Same
Possibly most nuts appear to be healthy, although some more than others. Walnuts are considered to be the best because of their high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, hazelnuts and pecans are other nuts which appear to be quite heart-healthy. Coconut which is technically not a nut, doesn’t have heart-healthy benefits. Consumption of nuts coated with chocolate, sugar or salt could end up cancelling the heart-healthy benefits of nuts.
How to Add Nuts in Your Diet
Always store nuts in a refrigerator to keep the Oils from going better. One or more of the following options are available to add nuts in your daily diet :
- Plain nuts are the best. Avoid coating or salted nuts.
- Add nuts to your salad and fish dishes (if non vegetarian).
- Consider using nut oils in home-made salad dressing or even in cooking. Remember that nut oils become bitter if over heated.
- Add walnuts and/or almonds to oatmeal or high fiber cereal.
Eating Too Much Nuts Should be Avoided
While nuts may be good for you, they have some unwanted effects on your health: (1) Nuts are rich in calories. Their consumption should therefore be substituted for other sources of calories; otherwise their benefits may be negated by gaining weight. (2) Salted nuts may increase BP. (3) Sugar-coated nuts off-track diabetes and add further to calories.
Conclusion
Any concern, that nuts added to our diet and may be harmful because of their high fat content, should be discarded. When eaten in moderation, and even in large amounts according to some studies, nuts appear to have significant benefits for heart health, cancer risk and possibly prevention of diabetes, adding years to your life.
PROF. D.S. Gambhir
MD, DM, FAMS, FCSI, FICC,
FCAPSC, FSCAI, FACC (USA)