Walnuts Improve Cholesterol Profile in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes

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Walnuts Improve Cholesterol Profile in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes In patients with type 2 diabetes, including a daily ounce of walnuts in a diet in which 30% of calories came from fat translated into a significant improvement in subjects' cholesterol profile. In this study, published in Diabetes Care, 58 men and women with an average age of 59 years, were assigned to one of three diets in which 30% of calories was derived from fat: a low fat diet, a modified low fat diet, and a modified low fat diet including an ounce of walnuts per day. After 6 months, those on the walnut diet had achieved a significantly greater increase in their HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio than the other groups, plus walnut eaters saw a 10% reduction in their LDL cholesterol. Why such benefit from walnuts? Most likely because walnuts are exceptionally high in their content of monounsaturated fat and the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic

acid. Plus, walnuts combine these heart healthy fats with a hefty dose of the antioxidants including at least 16 antioxidant phenols, vitamin E, ellagic and gallic acid. Additional research has confirmed that when walnuts are eaten as part of a modified low-fat diet, the result is a more cardiprotective fat profile in diabetic patients than can be achieved by simply lowering the fat content of the diet. In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, all 55 study participants with type 2 diabetes were put on low fat diets, but the only group to achieve a cardioprotective fat profile (less than 10% of calories from saturated fat, 7-10% of calories from polyunsaturated fats, adequate omega-3 fats, and an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of less than 10) were those who ate walnuts (30 grams-about one ounce-per day). Walnuts Found to Reduce Levels of Several Molecules that Promote

Atherosclerosis In addition to walnuts' beneficial effects on cholesterol, more insight into the reasons why walnuts reduce the risk of coronary heart disease were revealed in research published in the Journal of Nutrition. The study involved 20 overweight or obese men, 30 to 60 years old, and 3 menopausal women, aged 55-65, all of whom had elevated LDL cholesterol levels. Each subject was assigned to one of the three diets on a rotating six-week basis with a two-week break between each one. The average American diet served as the control diet, while the two experimental diets were a linoleic acid (LA) diet that included an ounce of walnuts and a teaspoon of walnut oil daily, and an alpha-linoleic acid diet (ALA), which added a teaspoon of flaxseed oil, which is especially high in ALA, to the linoleic diet. Both experimental diets resulted in positive effects, with the ALA diet providing the most benefit. In addition to lowering LDL

cholesterol, the walnut-rich ALA diet: lowered levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation strongly associated with atherosclerosis and heart disease increased levels of the protective omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and decreased levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and E-selection, all of which are involved in cholesterol's adhesion to the endothelium (the lining of the arteries). Walnuts Protect Arteries after High-Fat Meal Walnuts, a rich source of the omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), improve artery function after a high fat meal and may be even more important in a Mediterranean-type diet than olive oil in promoting heart health, suggests a small study from Spain (Cortes B, Nunez I, J Am Coll Cardiol). The study, funded by the California Walnut Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Health,

looked at the effects on a number of markers of cardiovascular health of adding walnuts or olive oil to a fatty meal. Twelve healthy people and 12 patients with high cholesterol levels were randomly assigned to eat either a high-fat meal (80 g fat, 35 per cent saturated fat) that also included 40 grams of walnuts or one that included 25 grams of olive oil (30 grams = 1 ounce). After one week, the participants eating walnuts were crossed over to olive oil and visa versa. The researchers evaluated the activity of the subjects' blood vessels after the meal, and looked at cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as markers of free radical (oxidative) stress and blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). AMDA is a by-product of the metabolism of the protein, arginine, that is said to interfere with the amino acid L-arginine, which is involved in the production of nitric oxide (NO). NO acts upon smooth muscle in blood vessels, causing them to dilate

and thus increasing blood flow. The researchers reported that blood flow in the brachial artery of the arm, (flow-mediated dilation) increased 24% in the subjects with high cholesterol after they ate the walnut-containing meal, while the olive oil-containing meal actually resulted in a 36% decrease in blood flow. However, levels of cholesterol and triglycerides decreased in similar amounts after both meals. Blood levels of ADMA were not affected by either walnuts or olive oil. The fact that a single walnut meal positively affects postprandial vasoactivity further supports the beneficial effects of walnuts on cardiovascular risk, wrote lead author Berenice Cortés in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. E-selectin, a molecule that plays a role in cell

adhesion-the process by which damaged cholesterol adheres to blood vessel walls to form plaques-also fell after the walnut meal. Many people forget that walnuts are an important part of the Mediterranean diet, providing numerous health benefits…Walnuts, unlike olive oil and other nuts, contain significant amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential plant-based omega-3. They also provide antioxidants and L-arginine, components identified in past studies as potential nutrients that improve artery function., said Dr. Ross. Vogel, a researcher from the University of land, who did not participate in the study, commented: This demonstrates that the protective fat from walnuts actually undoes some of the detrimental effects of a high-saturated-fat diet, whereas a neutral fat, such as olive oil, does not have as much protective ability>,/q> This raises a very interesting issue because many people who

eat a Mediterranean diet believe the olive oil is providing the benefits. But this research and other data indicate that's not true…There are probably other factors in the diet, including that it is a relatively rich source of nuts. This is not to say that olive oil is bad, but it's not the key protective factor in the Mediterranean diet, said Vogel. This does not mean that simply eating a handful of walnuts can make up for an unhealthy diet. Consumers would get the wrong message from our findings if they think they can continue eating unhealthy fats provided they add walnuts to their meals, said study author Emilio Ros from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. While this research clearly indicates that nuts are highly beneficial, they are only one component of the Mediterranean diet. Rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish and olive oil, as well as nuts, the Mediterranean diet includes literally thousands of protective vitamins,

minerals and phytonutrients. It's the combination of all these beneficial compounds that explains why this healthy way of eating is associated with longer life and protection against numerous diseases including cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and a number of cancers. Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/ http://360./suziesgoats __________________________________________________