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Walnuts Better than Olive Oil
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Eating “a handful” of walnuts everyday may help fend off heart disease. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that eating walnuts after a high fat meal has a better effect on blood vessels than olive oil.
Researchers recruited 12 healthy subjects and 12 with high cholesterol levels. Each group was provided with a high-fat meal, which was followed by 5 teaspoons of olive oil, or 40 grams of walnuts- the equivalent of about 8 unshelled nuts.
All people who participated in the study had a series of blood tests before and after the meal, as well as ultrasound studies of blood vessels to determine the degree of blood vessel flexibility.
Both olive oil and walnuts equally lowered the inflammation and oxidation in the blood vessels after a high-fat meal. Walnuts, however, were much better at preserving the elastic nature of the blood vessels, a feature that is deemed to lower the chance of developing heart disease.
The protective effect of walnuts may be due to the alpha-linoleic acid that is contained within these nuts. This ingredient is a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid and is thought to be a potent anti-oxidant. Omega-3 fatty acid, found in high concentration in many fish, is known to be protective for the heart.
The American Heart Association recommends the ingestion of at least two servings of fish a week. This diet is known to boost the levels of HDL, or the so-called "good" type of cholesterol.
Overall, this demonstrates that the protective fat from walnuts may actually undo some of the detrimental effects of eating a diet that is high in saturated-fat.
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