Nutritionists Share Heart-Healthy Snack Ideas

Snacks are welcome due to their high levels of fiber, protein, and vitamins.

A study by scientists from Sweden and Norway found that eating nuts and seeds daily can also be good for the heart.

According to a review of nearly two million people, eating a handful, or about 30 grams, of the mixture a day is associated with lower cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease.

It also reduces the risk of suffering or dying from a heart attack or stroke by a quarter, according to scientists from the University of Oslo and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

But they note that many people don’t eat as many nuts and seeds a day.

The researchers reviewed 60 studies involving 1.9 million people to determine if there was an association between nut and seed consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in the journal Food and Nutrition, was conducted to develop new nutritional guidelines for the Nordic countries.

The results show that those who ate large amounts of seeds and nuts, about 30 grams, were 19% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 23% less likely to die, compared to those who ate only small amounts. .

Nut and seed consumers are also 18 percent less likely to develop heart disease and 25 percent less likely to die from it.

Erik Arnesen, a researcher at the University of Oslo and the first author of the study, said: “If you eat a handful of nuts every day, that is, about 30 grams, you will have a 20-25 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. disease.

In comparison, Nordic adults eat an average of about 4 grams of nuts per day. Many do not eat nuts or seeds at all.

Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts seem to be the best nuts for lowering cholesterol levels.

But Arnesen insisted that there was no conclusive evidence that people should be advised to eat certain types of nuts and not others.

Instead, he suggests eating “everything is better” when it comes to eating nuts.

However, the NHS advises eating them in moderation as they are high in fat and calories.

Arnesen said that nuts have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels, so they prevent the accumulation of fat in the arteries, which is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks.

However, the researchers were unable to confirm whether eating nuts reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke, as snacking did not appear to affect blood pressure or blood sugar levels.

One of the reasons why researchers think nuts are so healthy is because of the fatty acid composition of the nuts.

Arnesen noted that while previous studies have shown that eating nuts is good for the heart, his study is the largest review of cardiovascular health to date.

“While nuts cannot be used to treat high cholesterol, we believe the effect is significant enough to be used as a preventive measure in the general population,” he said.

Source: Daily Mail