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by: Dr. John Rumberger
Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In
addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other
important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and
magnesium. Although on some food charts you may see nuts listed in
the same food category as diary products, eggs, and red meat because
of the fat content, new information calls into question this
designation.
While nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nuts such as
almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia are
actually low in saturated fat. Most of the fat comes in the form of
monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered
to be acceptable forms of fat that actually "reduce" the incidence
of heart and vascular disease.
Several large studies have examined the relationship between the
risk of heart disease and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plant
sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Study researchers found
that those who reported eating nuts more than four times per week
had a 50% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate
nuts. The Nurses' Health Study found that heart disease risk was
reduced by 35% in those who ate nuts compared with those who rarely
ate nuts. An addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes
went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1/4 cup of nuts five
times per week compared to those that did not eat nuts at all.
One recent study looked at almonds in particular. They examined the
effects on LDL ["bad"] cholesterol values. Each person served as his
own control and they were each on three different "diets": almonds
representing about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR a
"handful" of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containing about the same
number of calories as a "full dose" of almonds]. The LDL cholesterol
went down about 10% when the subjects took a "full dose" of almonds,
went down about 5% with intake of a "handful" of almonds, and did
not go down at all with eating a muffin. In those with the higher
"dose" of almonds, the "ratio" of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL
ratio] went down by 12%.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes nuts [including
almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may
help to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a very healthy
"snack". However, they also warn that they are a source of calories
and should not be used to great excess in those with calorie
restricted diets and that you should avoid nuts with added oils or
added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall balanced diet that
is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat
[or non-fat] diary products, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to
your diet, just be sure that you don't inadvertently add
considerable total calories - despite the benefits of nuts,
maintaining an ideal body weight is more important. Weight is often
a simple lesson in physics - what comes in either stays [as
increased pounds] or is used up for energy and metabolism [which is
increased by a regular exercise program].
Dr. John Rumberger's experince in the field is extensive, and
includes achieving his doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid
Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus,
Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery
Blood Flow.
He then continued his education into medicine, in 1978 he became a
M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the University of
Miami, Florida. Since then, he has pioneered how the medical field
views the process of blood flow through the heart. From my
appointment as professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical
Director at the HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio. He
has just completed his book The WAY Diet available on amazon.com or
direct through the publisher at http://www.emptycanoe.com
About the author:
I have dedicated my life to studying the heart and the blood that
pumps throughout the human body. I have spent much of the last
thirty years doing research and spending valuable time with
patients, trying to better understand the heart.
My experience in the field is extensive, and includes achieving my
doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied
Mathematics) from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a
dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow.
I then continued my education into my true love, medicine, when in
1978 I became a M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the
University of Miami, Florida.
I became an Internist and then a Cardiologist. Since then, I have
pioneered how the medical field views the process of blood flow
through the heart. From my appointment as professor at the Mayo
Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the HealthWISE Wellness
Diagnostic Center in Ohio I have treated patients with heart
problems. Though each patient is unique, the heart in each of us
works the same way.
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