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Eating nuts 'may reduce heart disease risk'
April 13, 2012
A study has found that eating nuts could help to reduce a person's risk of developing high blood pressure.
People who regularly eat nuts may benefit from a reduced risk of heart disease, a study in Nutrition Research journal has found.
US scientists discovered that people who ate tree nuts every day were 19 percent less likely to develop persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) than those who never ate nuts.
They were also 21 percent less likely to have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or 'good cholesterol').
Both hypertension and low levels of HDL are risk factors for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, according to Dr Carol O'Neil, lead author from Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre.
The researchers also found that out-of-hand nut consumption - as opposed to eating nuts contained in breads or cereals - was associated with a higher intake of good dietary fats and a lower intake of cholesterol and salt.
Maureen Ternus, executive director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation, commented: "These new data, along with previous research, show once again that nuts can and should play an important role in a healthy diet."
The findings may be of interest to those with private medical insurance, as avoiding risk factors for heart disease by eating a healthy diet could reduce their chances of needing to make a claim in the future.
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