A new study indicates a diet with walnuts may reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
December 3/Folsom, Calif./PRNewswire -- A new study published in Metabolism indicates a diet with walnuts may reduce cardiovascular disease risk by lowering non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), two predictors of cardiovascular disease risk. Researchers at University of Munich Medical Center, Germany investigated the effects of daily walnut consumption (43g/1.5oz.) on blood lipid levels that predict cardiovascular disease risk, and found non-HDL cholesterol and ApoB levels were significantly reduced on the walnut enriched diet by over 6% and 5% respectively.
Study participants (healthy men and women) consumed walnuts as part of their normal diet, for an eight-week period. While eating walnuts, study participants reduced intake of saturated fat and increased consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in beneficial changes in their lipid profile. Walnuts are comprised predominately of polyunsaturated fat and are one of the few foods that offer an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid -- 2.5g/oz..