Going Nuts for Heart Health

When I was young, the paradigm was ‘fat is fat”, and all forms of fat were to be reduced to the absolute minimum. That led to a carbohydrates - heavy diet which likely has contributed to today’s epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Today, our current understanding is that unsaturated fats, in moderation, can be healthy. Thus, nuts, one forbidden as a “fat food,” are now considered healthy, if consumed in moderation, and as part of an overall healthy diet.
 

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet can be good for your heart. Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food, too. They're inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you're on the go.
 
The type of nut you eat isn't that important, although some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than do others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts — you name it — almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet.
 
Can eating nuts help your heart?
 
People who eat nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet can lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol level in their blood. High LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease.
 
Eating nuts may reduce your risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack.
 

Once again, moderation is key.

 As much as 80 percent of a nut is fat. Even though most of this fat is healthy fat, it's still a lot of calories. That's why you should eat nuts in moderation. Ideally, you should use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products. 

Instead of eating unhealthy saturated fats, try substituting these with a handful of nuts or a tablespoon or two of a nut spread. The American Heart Association recommends eating four servings of unsalted nuts a week. Select raw or dry-roasted nuts rather than those cooked in oil.

A serving is a small handful (1.5 ounces) of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won't do your heart any good.

Eating some walnut or almonds, or having a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter can therefore constitutes a tasty part of a heart-healthy diet.

Check these recipes for walnut-chocolate clusters and spicy walnuts.