Peking Best

Almonds, as Part of Healthy Diet, Cut Cholesterol Mon Aug 19, 6:17 PM ET By Suzanne Rostler NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Including almonds in an overall healthy diet may help to reduce cholesterol levels, the results of a small study suggest. According to the report funded by The Almond Board of California and the Canadian government, adults who substituted 74 grams of almonds (about 2 ounces) for other foods reduced their LDL ( bad ) cholesterol by nearly 10% after 1 month. Adults who consumed fewer nuts also saw their cholesterol levels fall, researchers report in the September 10 rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. However, adding nuts to a diet already sufficient in calories and fat could lead to weight gain, a risk factor for heart disease, cautions Julie Walsh, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. While nuts are rich in protein and healthy monounsaturated fat, they are also high in calories. People have to remember when they eat nuts they have to take out calories elsewhere, Walsh said in an interview with Reuters Health. The study included 27 adults with high cholesterol and an average age of 64 years, who agreed to follow three diets with a different snack of about 420 calories per day, for a month each. The first diet included a snack of 74 grams of almonds, the second diet included about 37 grams of almonds plus one-half of a muffin, and the third diet substituted a whole-wheat muffin, low in saturated fat, for the nuts. The muffin had roughly the same amount of protein and saturated and polyunsaturated fat as the nuts. But almonds are higher in monounsaturated fat, found also in avocados, olive oil and other types of nuts. When substituted for saturated fat or trans fat, which is found in processed foods and baked goods, monounsaturated fat has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Indeed, adults eating the diet with more almonds reduced their LDL cholesterol by 9.4% and lowered their ratio of LDL to HDL ( good ) cholesterol

The health benefits would be observed in individuals with high cholesterol and in those with normal levels, he added. You'll note that they tested people with high cholesterol.  Yet, the researcher says that the health benefits would be observed in those people with normal levels of cholesterol.  But they never tested anyone with normal cholesterol levels.  So, how can he make this statement without some sort of proof?  Perhaps almonds cause LDL to go up in people with normal cholesterol.  The data from this study sheds no light on what happens with people with normal cholesterol.

proof?  Perhaps almonds cause LDL to go up in people with normal cholesterol.  The data from this study sheds no light on what happens with people with normal cholesterol. the study was paid for by the ALMOND GROWERS ASSOCIATION!

Julie Walsh, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. ... People have to remember when they eat nuts they have to take out calories elsewhere, Walsh said in an interview with Reuters Health. And dieticians obviously think all of us, the great unwashed masses,  have the mental maturity of a five year old. Lana

However, adding nuts to a diet already sufficient in calories and fat could lead to weight gain, a risk factor for heart disease, cautions Julie Walsh, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. While nuts are rich in protein and healthy monounsaturated fat, they are also high in calories. Have you noticed that these days any quote that tells us fat is bad or we're going to die from eating an egg has American Dietetic Association plastered all over it? And they call US cultists... _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Wayne Crannell 250/158.5/150 Atkins+ 10/27/01 _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/