A Handful Of Nuts For A Healthy Heart

Nuts are a favorite food, and their regular consumption gives the body vital vitamins, minerals, useful fats and proteins. Of course, raw, roasted and salted nuts have an advantage, but even they do not completely lose their health benefits. Many new clinical studies emphasize the importance of nuts for heart health. For example, adding 30 grams of raw nuts a day to the Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by 30%.

The variety of nuts is really great, but there are four representatives of these crunchy temptations, which can be an excellent ally in the fight against cardiovascular disease.

Almonds

Nutrition experts are adamant that almonds help lower cholesterol and body fat. Adding them to your daily diet lowers LDL cholesterol, or so-called "bad cholesterol," which forms plaques in the coronary arteries. This means that increasing the amount of almonds reduces the risk of heart attack.

Clinical studies show that almonds also reduce the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. And in the presence of diabetes, eating almonds can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin.

Almonds are a faithful helper in the eternal pursuit of a slim waist. Research on the subject shows that eating about 80 grams of raw almonds a day can melt the inches around the waist by 14%. Another study from 2015 compared the loss of body fat and the reduction of "bad cholesterol" in people who consume 40 grams of almonds a day and others who eat a healthy muffin with similar calories. After six weeks, it turned out that people who ate almonds had lower LDL cholesterol - an average of 5 mg, as well as less fat in the waist and hips.

Pistachios

Stress has been shown to be among the leading risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. A curious study observed two groups of people subjected to daily stress - the former consume about 30 grams of pistachios per day and the latter - meet the nervous tension without a special diet. The results show that in the second group the blood pressure is higher than in those who regularly ate pistachios.

Pistachio also helps people with diabetes by lowering total and LDL cholesterol, regulating blood pressure, keeping stress levels within normal limits and improving heart function. 

Nuts

Most nuts contain a high concentration of "good" fats, and walnuts are composed of 47% polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, popular nuts contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid.

It has been proven to contribute to the elasticity of the skin and has an anti-inflammatory effect on redness of the epidermis. However, its benefits are also great for reducing the already accumulated plaque in the coronary arteries. Walnuts, like almonds and pistachios, improve cholesterol levels and the function of small blood vessels. So, they are another excellent helper at high risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Peanuts

These are probably the most criticized nuts due to the high risk of allergies. At the same time, however, raw peanuts are extremely rich in monounsaturated fats and oleic acid, which makes them good for the heart.

A number of studies show that regular consumption of peanuts and peanut oil can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by about 34%. A recent study of 6,309 women who consumed 28 grams of raw peanuts a day, or the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, also found that the risk of cardiovascular disease was reduced by more than 40%.

Peanuts and peanut butter are also excellent helpers for diabetes and overweight .