Nut Consumption Helps Protect The Heart
Nut consumption is associated with the reduced risk of death.[1] Particular it was walnuts that had the greatest health protecting properties. People who consumed more than 3 servings of walnuts a week cut the risk of dying from cancer by 45%.
Adding nuts to the diet cut the risk of stroke by 49%.[2] The nut data came out of studies examining the Mediterranean Diet an its efficacy in protecting the heart.
Nuts, especially walnuts, are protective of the heart and protective against cancer because they are packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants protect against fat oxidation and DNA damage caused by free radicals.
One cause of heart disease is the cholesterol plaque buildup in the arteries that harden and reduce the diameter of the arteries leading to the development of atherosclerosis. Fat oxidation contributes to the cholesterol buildup which compromises oxygen and nutrient deliver to the body and brain.
This study[3] showed that nut consumption significantly reduced the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries. People who consumed nuts suffered less strokes because the nuts helped stabilize the remaining plaque so it was less likely to break away and cause blockage in the bloodstream and cause stroke.
Nut consumption also resulted in adding back elasticity to the arteries and the arteries were able to dilate more by about 30%. This allowed for better transportation of oxygen and nutrients to all of he cells of the body.
The consumption of olive oil has always been associated with the heart protection the Mediterranean Diet offered, but a closer look at the diet shows olive oil consumption had relatively little to do with the diet’s ability to protect the heart.
The consumption of olive oil was most helpful because it was better on the heart than the consumption of fat from meat, dairy, and processed foods.
This study[4] indicated there were only two factors significantly associated with reduced stroke and heart attack risk in the Mediterranean Diet. Those two factors were the consumption vegetables and nuts.
[1] M Guasch-Ferre, M Bullo, M A Martinez-Gonzalez, E Ros, D Corella, R Estruch, M Fito, F Aros, J Wamberg, M Fiol, J Lapetra, E Vinyoles, R M Lamuela-Raventos, L Serra-Majem, X Pinto, V Ruiz-Gutierrez, J Basora, J Salas-Salvado, PREMIDED Study Group. Frequency of nut consumption and mortality risk in the PREDIMED nutrition intervention trial. BMC Med. 2013 Jul 16;11
[2]R Estruch, E Ros, J Salas=Salvado, M I Covas, D Coreela, F Aros, E Gomez-Gracia, V Ruiz-Gutierrez,M Fiol, J Lapetra, R M Lamuela-Raventos, L Serra-Majem, X Pinto, J Basora, M A Munoz, J V Sorli, J A Martinez, M A Martinez-Gonzalez, PREMIDED Study Investigators. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 4;368(14):1279-90.
[3] A Sala-Vila, E S Romero-Mamani, R Gilabert, I Nunez, R de la Torre, D Corella, V Ruiz-Gutierrez, M C Lopez-Sabater, X Pinto, J Rekondo, M A Martinzez-Gonzalez, R Estruch, E Ros. Changes in ultrasound-assessed carotid intima-media thickness and plaque with a Mediterranean diet: a substudy of the PREDIMED trial. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Feb;34(2):439-45.
[4] H Schroder, J Salas-Salvado, M A Martinez-Gonzalez, M Fito, D Corella, R Estruch, E Ros. Baseline adherence to the Mediterranean diet and major cardiovascular events: Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Oct;174(10):1690-2.
