Go Nutty And Save Your Heart: 4 Heart-Healthy Nuts To Add To Your Diet

Health & Medical Blog

Cardiovascular disease is a scary thing to have to worry about developing, especially for those who have a family history of it. Most people will do their best to eat healthy, exercise regularly and do whatever it takes to reduce their risk. One thing that you may not be aware of is the fact that eating heart-healthy mixes of nuts can help reduce one's overall risk of heart disease, including stroke and heart attacks. Here are four nuts that are good for the heart and that should be incorporated into your daily diet as soon as possible:

1. Almonds

Adding almonds to your daily food intake can help you lower your LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol that is responsible for creating plaque in the coronary arteries and causing strokes and heart attacks. In addition, for those who have diabetes, almonds can help improve your insulin sensitivity. One study even suggests that almonds can help reduce leg and abdominal fat.

2. Pistachios

Almost everyone deals with some level of stress on a daily basis. Although some stress is good for the body, most stress actually has long-term effects on your health, particularly your heart. In one study, pistachios were given to 28 adults as part of their meals. Participants in the study were then exposed to acute stress. Those who had consumed two servings of pistachios each day were less at risk of cardiovascular disease due to blood pressure reductions and resistant to peripheral vascular constriction.

3. Walnuts

Among all nuts, it is walnuts that contain the highest level of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), which works as anti-inflammatory agent. Research shows that it can help reduce the build-up of plaque in your coronary arteries.  Another study shows that individuals who eat at least 43 grams of walnuts on a daily basis can benefit from reduced LDL and total cholesterol levels in addition to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease.

4. Peanuts

In a past Nurse's Healthy Study, participants who consumed peanut butter and peanuts were able to reduce their overall risk of cardiovascular disease by nearly 35 percent. Another study shows that daily peanut consumption can contribute to lower levels of total cholesterol as well as triacylglycerol concentrations.

From exercise to eating these nuts, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve your ability to fight off cardiovascular disease. If you're concerned about the health of your heart, speak to your physician about changes in your lifestyle that you can make to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. 

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18 April 2015

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