Walnuts and Cardiovascular Health
We know that walnuts are good for the brain, and researchers from Spain and the USA are showing us that they can also help with cardiovascular health.
For two years, with more than 600 elderly participants, one group totally stayed away from walnuts, while the other group consumed 15% of their calories coming from these nuts.
After 2 years, the group that consumed the walnuts showed:
- 4% decrease in total cholesterol
- 6% decrease in LDL-C
- 8% reduction in intermediate-density lipoprotein cholesterol
But even more interesting, the group that consumed the walnuts showed:
- A 4.3% decrease in LDL particles.
- And a 6.1% reduction in the number of small LDL particles, which are the real bad guys.
In essence, this means that it is a small but significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular health.
Reference:
Circulation. 2021 Sep 28;144(13):1083-1085. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054051. Epub 2021 Aug 30.
Link:
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054051