Fri, 20 Feb 2004 23:44:25 GMT in article
<
[email protected]> "Sonos" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>On 20-Feb-2004, "Don" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I'd like to know too. I have read so many articles that have said "any kind of nuts" are good for
>> lowering cholesterol, but my cardiologist said no and said "if" I have to have nuts, the only
>> ones that might be beneficial are walnuts and pistachio.
>
I think that most nuts, if not all, have some benefits. These nuts include also almonds, pecans,
macadamias etc.
>If you are craving something crunchy and nutty, then try roasted soy beans. To my knowledge, tree
>nuts have been associated with lowering risk factors, but have no clinical trials indicating a
>direct effect on atherosclerosis. It is progression of atherosclerosis that results in
>complications such as heart attack and stroke (among the miriad of other complications) and not the
>lipid profile itself.
>
I haven't seen any clinical trials either, but many epidemiological studies have shown an inverse
association between frequent nut consumption and fatal and non-fatal CHD events. One cannot of
course draw causal conclusions from epidemiological studies, but when evidence from these is
combined with studies about nuts' effects on CHD risk factors, the circumstantial evidence about the
benefits of nuts seems fairly strong, IMHO.
Below references to some epidemiological and related studies and studies about nuts' effects on
multiple risk factors. I've left out all the studies dealing only with lipid profiles.
Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, Parker TL, Connelly PW, Qian W, Haight JS, Faulkner D, Vidgen E,
Lapsley KG, Spiller GA. Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood
lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, and pulmonary nitric oxide:
a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Circulation. 2002 Sep 10;106(11):1327-32.
<URL:http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/106/11/1327>
Albert CM, Gaziano JM, Willett WC, Manson JE. Nut consumption and decreased risk of sudden cardiac
death in the Physicians' Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 2002 Jun 24;162(12):1382-7. PMID: 12076237
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=P-
ubMed&list_uids=12076237&dopt=Abstract>
Feldman EB. The scientific evidence for a beneficial health relationship between walnuts and
coronary heart disease. J Nutr. 2002 May;132(5):1062S-1101S. Review.
<URL:http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/132/5/1062S>
Ellsworth JL, Kushi LH, Folsom AR. Frequent nut intake and risk of death from coronary heart disease
and all causes in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.
2001 Dec;11(6):372-7. PMID: 12055701 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go-
v/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12055701&dopt=Abstract>
Kris-Etherton PM, Zhao G, Binkoski AE, Coval SM, Etherton TD. R The effects of nuts on coronary
heart disease risk. Nutr Rev. 2001 Apr;59(4):103-11. Review. PMID: 11368503 [PubMed - indexed for
MEDLINE] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=113685-
03&dopt=Abstract>
Hu FB, Stampfer MJ. Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a review of epidemiologic
evidence. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 1999 Nov;1(3):204-9. PMID: 11122711 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
<URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11122711&dopt-
=Abstract>
Fraser GE. Nut consumption, lipids, and risk of a coronary event. Clin Cardiol. 1999 Jul;22(7 Suppl):III11-
5. Review. PMID: 10410300 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/qu-
ery.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10410300&dopt=Abstract>
Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH, Willett WC.
Frequent nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in women: prospective cohort study. BMJ.
1998 Nov 14;317(7169):1341-5.
<URL:http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/317/7169/1341>
Fraser GE, Sabate J, Beeson WL, Strahan TM. A possible protective effect of nut consumption on risk
of coronary heart disease. The Adventist Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 1992 Jul;152(7):1416-24.
PMID: 1627021 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd-
=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1627021&dopt=Abstract>
--
Matti Narkia