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Despite its well-known health benefits for the body as it contains beneficial fats and omega-3 acids which are beneficial for heart muscle and arteries, nuts work magically to lower harmful cholesterol levels in the body.
The results of a new study have found that adding half a cup of walnuts to the daily diet can lower cholesterol levels by about 8.5% and lower the risk of heart disease.
Researchers at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona conducted two-year experiments on 628 healthy volunteers, aged 63 to 79, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail, citing the journal Circulation.
Researchers found that those who ate nuts daily had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Walnuts (iStock)
Less LDL particles
The total number of LDL particles, especially the smaller ones, was also reduced in the blood of study participants who ate nuts on a daily basis.
Reduce arteriosclerosis
The researchers explained that the participants in the group, who ate half a cup of nuts per day, had lowered their LDL levels, after the 24 months of the study, by an average of 4.3 mg / deciliter. During this time, total cholesterol decreased by an average of 8.5 mg / dL.
Walnuts (iStock)
Reduce the risk of heart disease
Regular consumption of nuts was found to be associated with a 4.3% decrease in total LDL particle count and 6.1% decrease in small LDL particles, two known variables associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. .
Additionally, the researchers found that medium density lipoprotein cholesterol, or IDL, a precursor to LDL, also decreased in the group that ate nuts daily, noting that changes in LDL cholesterol in the same group differed depending on the group. sex.
While the reasons have not yet been reached, the average decrease in men was 7.9%, while it was 2.6% in women.
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