Walnuts

Oh Nuts!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Everyone I know loves nuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, and macadamia seem to be the favorites! We all know the benefits of healthy fats and eating nuts, legumes, and vegetables but a recent study proves the “experts” might be right! In fact, the positive effects on a study group who ate walnuts (specifically walnuts) was sustained for more than 2 years!

So, what are the positive effects? Will I gain weight eating fat laden walnuts? Well, apparently not. The healthy fats in nuts did not contribute to any weight gain in the study group AND their total cholesterol enjoyed a 4.4% mean reduction and more importantly the nasty LDL was reduced by an average of 3.6%! These are great numbers for those of us fighting the cholesterol battle, right?

However, I do caution you not to go out and stock up on pounds of walnuts, remember, in previous blogs the key is moderation. I personally can sit down and eat a whole pound of nuts by myself and I’m truly not picky on which ones! When researchers talk about consuming healthy fats and nuts, they assume we will have a handful or two a day, not a pound, so proceed with caution! Stay well, stay informed and stay tuned!