Almonds and other nuts to prevent heart disease

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I apologize for sending the abstract on almonds and heart disease risk

attachment twice, but I think it is a nice paper anyway. The abstract is

attached and some of the data and discussion from it below. I enjoyed the

comparison: “reductions in LDL cholesterol for walnuts, pecans, peanuts (an

oil seed legume), macadamias, and pistachios” since I dabble in different

nuts and wish to get the maximum benefit from minimum $ and calories. It

seems as my present basically walnuts choice is okay. Peanuts are not so

good in my view because the compounds in them cause atherosclerosis

(Definition: form of arteriosclerosis characterized by the deposition of

atheromatous plaques containing cholesterol and lipids on the innermost

layer of the walls of large and medium-sized arteries) in animals and maybe

us.

The PDF is available for PMID: 12221048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]. See

attached abstract.

“…….7 g of almonds per day reduces LDL cholesterol by 1%, which translates

into a 2% risk reduction for CHD….

7 g of almonds per day reduces LDL cholesterol by 1%, which translates into

a 2% risk reduction for CHD……….

Our findings are in line with previous studies of almonds and other types of

nuts. For almonds, reductions of 15% have been noted in LDL cholesterol per

100 g/d (1% reduction for 7 g/d ),2 12% for 100 g/d (1% reduction for 8

g/d ), 25 and 10% for 84 g/d (1% reduction for 8 g/d ).26 One-percent

reductions in LDL cholesterol for walnuts, pecans, peanuts (an oil seed

legume), macadamias, and pistachios would be achieved with daily intakes of

4, 11, 4, 10, and 4 g, respectively.1,4– 11……………

Almonds also reduced oxidized LDL. Similar reductions and other evidence of

antioxidant activity, including lower urinary isoprostane outputs, have been

reported after feeding soy and other vegetable protein diets.20,32 The

proteins and other components of nuts may therefore share properties with

legumes, especially soy, that contribute additionally to the

cardioprotective effect of nuts.23,24 In addition, the full-dose almonds add

18 mg of the antioxidant vitamin E to the diet per day. Finally, an

increased intake of monounsaturated fat in the diet has been associated with

reduced susceptibility of LDL to oxidation.33 There are therefore a number

of components of almonds that may reduce LDL oxidation.

Alan Pater, Ph.D.; Faculty of Medicine; Memorial University; St. 's, NF

A1B 3V6 Canada; Tel. No.: (709) 777-6488; Fax No.: (709) 777-7010; email:

apater@...

1: Circulation 2002 Sep 10;106(11):1327-32

Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids,

oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, and pulmonary

nitric oxide: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial.

DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, TL, Connelly PW, Qian W, Haight JS,

Faulkner D, Vidgen E, Lapsley KG, Spiller GA.

Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St 's Hospital,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. cyril.kendall@...

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies have indicated that nut consumption may

improve levels of blood lipids, nuts are not generally recommended as snacks for

hyperlipidemic subjects because of their high fat content. Furthermore, the

effective dose is still unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: The dose-response effects

of whole almonds, taken as snacks, were compared with low-saturated fat (<5%

energy) whole-wheat muffins (control) in the therapeutic diets of hyperlipidemic

subjects. In a randomized crossover study, 27 hyperlipidemic men and women

consumed 3 isoenergetic (mean 423 kcal/d) supplements each for 1 month.

Supplements provided 22.2% of energy and consisted of full-dose almonds (73+/-3

g/d), half-dose almonds plus half-dose muffins, and full-dose muffins. Fasting

blood, expired air, blood pressure, and body weight measurements were obtained

at weeks 0, 2, and 4. Mean body weights differed <300 g between treatments. The

full-dose almonds produced the greatest reduction in levels of blood lipids.

Significant reductions from baseline were seen on both half- and full-dose

almonds for LDL cholesterol (4.4+/-1.7%, P=0.018, and 9.4+/-1.9%, P<0.001,

respectively) and LDL:HDL cholesterol (7.8+/-2.2%, P=0.001, and 12.0+/-2.1%,

P<0.001, respectively) and on full-dose almonds alone for lipoprotein(a)

(7.8+/-3.5%, P=0.034) and oxidized LDL concentrations (14.0+/-3.8%, P<0.001),

with no significant reductions on the control diet. No difference was seen in

pulmonary nitric oxide between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Almonds used as snacks

in the diets of hyperlipidemic subjects significantly reduce coronary heart

disease risk factors, probably in part because of the nonfat (protein and fiber)

and monounsaturated fatty acid components of the nut.

Publication Types:

Clinical Trial

Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 12221048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]