Plant-based foods and prevention of cardiovascular disease: an overview.

Evidence from prospective cohort studies indicates that a high consumption of plant-based foods such as fruit and vegetables; nuts; and whole grains is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. The protective effects of these foods are probably mediated through multiple beneficial nutrients contained in these foods; including mono- and […]

Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a review of epidemiologic evidence

Traditionally nuts have been perceived as an unhealthy food because of their high fat content. However; recent accumulative evidence suggests that frequent consumption of nuts may be protective against coronary heart disease (CHD). So far; five large prospective cohort studies (the Adventist Health Study; the Iowa Women Health Study; the Nurses' Health Study; the Physicians' […]

Serum lipid profiles in Japanese women and men during consumption of walnuts.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the serum cholesterol; apolipoproteins and LDL oxidizability in young Japanese women and men during walnut consumption and to evaluate its active principle. DESIGN: Experimental study with a randomized design. SUBJECTS: Twenty healthy women and 20 healthy men. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomly assigned to consume each of two mixed natural diets for 4 […]

Walnuts lower serum cholesterol in Japanese men and women in Japan.

Recent studies have shown that incorporating moderate quantities of walnuts into the recommended cholesterol-lowering diet in the U.S. decreased serum concentrations of total cholesterol in normal American men. To explore whether walnut consumption would also prove effective as part of the Japanese diet; we studied the effects of walnut consumption on serum lipids and blood […]

Almonds decrease postprandial glycemia; insulinemia; and oxidative damage in healthy individuals.

Strategies that decrease postprandial glucose excursions; including digestive enzyme inhibition; and low glycemic index diets result in lower diabetes incidence and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk; possibly through lower postprandial oxidative damage to lipids and proteins. We therefore assessed the effect of decreasing postprandial glucose excursions on measures of oxidative damage. Fifteen healthy subjects ate […]

Macadamia nut consumption modulates favourably risk factors for coronary artery disease in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Macadamia nuts are rich source of monounsaturated fats (oleic and palmitoleic acids) and contain polyphenol compounds; therefore; their consumption can be expected to impart health benefits to humans. This study was conducted to examine the effects of consuming macadamia nuts in hypercholesterolemic male individuals on plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress; coagulation and inflammation. Seventeen hypercholesterolemic […]

Macadamia nut consumption lowers plasma cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic men.

This study was conducted to assess the cholesterol-lowering potential of macadamia nuts. Seventeen hypercholesterolemic men (mean age 54 y) were given macadamia nuts (40-90 g/d); equivalent to 15% energy intake; for 4 wk. Plasma total cholesterol; LDL cholesterol; HDL cholesterol; triglycerides and homocysteine concentrations and the fatty acid composition of plasma lipids were determined before […]