Nuts boost good cholesterol, reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar levels and burn up fat. In short, they minimise all risk factors for heart disease, say cardiologists
Can replacing an egg with a handful of nuts some days
during breakfast reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to
17 per cent? According to a recent review of studies, published in the UK
journal BioMed Central (BMC), eating one less egg a day and substituting it
with nuts could lower the risk of heart disease by 17 per cent, diabetes by 18
per cent and an early death by 15 per cent if replaced with 25 to 28 grams of
nuts.
Of course, eggs are safe for your heart, and an egg a
day is good enough for heart patients too. But the purpose of the research was
to present an option for those who wouldn’t want to have an egg a day and build
some diversity in their breakfast platters. The same research, while finding an
egg equivalent, found no cardiovascular benefit of swapping fish, dairy and
seafood with plant-based options.
WHY NUTS ARE A
GOOD OPTION?
Nuts, particularly walnuts, are packed with good or
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, vitamins, antioxidants, key minerals,
fibre and protein. Omega-3 fatty acids prevent erratic heart rhythms and blood clots.
Arginine, an amino acid, produces nitric oxide that relaxes constricted blood
vessels and eases blood flow.
“That’s why nuts boost good cholesterol, reduce
inflammation, regulate blood sugar levels with slow-digesting fibre, burn up
fat and help in weight management. In short, they minimise all risk factors for
heart disease,” says Dr Pravin Kahale, Consultant, Cardiology, Kokilaben
Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. “One ounce of almond can give you almost 15 grams of
fat (80% monounsaturated, 15% polyunsaturated, and 5% saturated) while a
similar amount of walnut yields 18.5 gm of fat, most of it good fat,” he adds.
In fact, a study in 2021 had revealed how eating about half a cup of walnuts
every day for two years modestly lowered levels of low density lipoprotein
(LDL) or bad cholesterol and reduced the number of total LDL particles and
small LDL particles in healthy, older adults. “And we all know how cholesterol
forms plaque and clogs up the arteries,” says Dr Kahale.
Besides, even if you have eggs, the nuts could be a
good substitute for sausage, which is processed meat. Replacing cold cuts and
meats with nuts (say 28 to 50 gm) lowered the cardiovascular risk by 27 per
cent, according to the review.
WHY WALNUTS MAKE
SENSE FOR BREAKFAST?
“That’s because Indians usually have a late dinner and
grains and animal protein take a much longer time to digest. So if you have an
egg breakfast at 8 am, there is still some undigested food and you are
overloading your digestive system again. This again pushes up blood sugar
levels and impacts your fat metabolism. Fruits and nuts do not overload the
system and are lighter. Soaked nuts are also easier for absorption,” explains
Dr Sujatha Ganigi, Consultant, Non-Interventional Cardiologist, Manipal
Hospital, Bengaluru.
Besides, nuts make for a good snack option,
particularly for the in-between meal cravings. That’s why Dr Chandan Saurav
Mahapatro, Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru
recommends having anything between 20-30 mg of chestnuts, almonds, walnuts and
even avocados. “Chestnuts have antioxidants like gallic and ellagic acid, which
have been proven to reduce oxidative stress, a condition that may raise the
risk of strokes and heart disease, in studies. In fact, I recommend nuts to my
patients over chicken stew and other dietary supplements, especially among
those who have high BP and high blood sugar,” he says. Also, nuts he feels are
more acceptable and lighter that can be had in bits throughout the day. “You
cannot do that with eggs,” he says.
DO WALNUT EATERS
HAVE BETTER HEART HEALTH?
Several of the largest cohort studies, including the
Adventist Study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, and the
Physicians’ Health Study, have shown a consistent 30 per cent to 50 percent
lower risk of myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, or cardiovascular
disease associated with eating nuts several times a week.
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