Nuts contain powerful antioxidants and anti-flammatories, and like so many other diseases, heart disease is an inflammatory condition.
Nuts enhance heart health because of tier unique protein, fat, sterol, and vitamin profile.
· Heart-healthy protein. Most nuts are high in arginine, an amino acid that reduces cholesterol levels and as a precursor to nitric oxide, dilates blood vessels, thus reducing blood pressure and the risk of angina, congestive heart failure and heart attack.
· Heart- Healthy fats. Most of the fat in nuts consist of the polyunsaturated omega -3 and omega-6 varieties that reduce blood cholesterol levels. Numerous clinical studies have found that almonds, hazel nuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts, and walnuts all reduce cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in people with normal to high cholesterol levels. And the fatty compounds in nuts’ phytosterols inhibit accumulation of fat in artery walls, which promotes angina, strokes, and heart attacks.
· Heart – healthy vitamins. Vitamins E an antioxidant in which almonds are especially rich, helps prevent the oxidation of cholesterol that leads to fatty buildup in the arteries. The B vitamin folate, found in many nuts, lowers high blood levels of homocysteine, a strong predictor of heart disease.
· Heart-Healthy minerals. Nuts and seeds are generally rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium, all of which serve to reduce blood pressure.
· Heart healthy phytochemicals. The coatings of all nuts and seeds – such as the thin brown papery layer coating almonds and peanuts are rich in the antioxidant polyphenols associated with reduced risk o art disease. Remember processed nuts and seeds posses fewer of these antioxidants.
This data taken from LifeStrength.
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