Eating walnuts daily lowered 'bad' cholesterol and may reduce
cardiovascular disease risk

Date:
August 30, 2021
Source:
American Heart Association
Summary:
Healthy older adults who ate a handful of walnuts (about 1/2 cup)
a day for two years modestly lowered their level of low-density
lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol levels. Consuming walnuts daily also
reduced the number of LDL particles, a predictor of cardiovascular
disease risk. The study explored the effects of a walnut-enriched
diet on overall cholesterol in elderly individuals from diverse
geographical locations and spanning two years.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Eating about 1/2 cup of walnuts every day for two years modestly lowered
levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as "bad cholesterol," and reduced the number of total LDL particles and small LDL particles in healthy, older adults, according to new research published
today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.


========================================================================== Healthy older adults who ate a handful of walnuts (about 1/2 cup) a day
for two years modestly lowered their level of low-density lipoprotein or
LDL cholesterol levels. Consuming walnuts daily also reduced the number
of LDL particles, a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk.

Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid),
which have been shown to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular
health.

"Prior studies have shown that nuts in general, and walnuts in particular,
are associated with lower rates of heart disease and stroke. One of the
reasons is that they lower LDL-cholesterol levels, and now we have another reason: they improve the quality of LDL particles," said study co-author
Emilio Ros, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Lipid Clinic at the Endocrinology
and Nutrition Service of the Hospital Cli'nic of Barcelona in Spain. "LDL particles come in various sizes. Research has shown that small, dense LDL particles are more often associated with atherosclerosis, the plaque or
fatty deposits that build up in the arteries. Our study goes beyond LDL cholesterol levels to get a complete picture of all of the lipoproteins
and the impact of eating walnuts daily on their potential to improve cardiovascular risk." In a sub-study of the Walnuts and Healthy Aging
study, a large, two-year randomized controlled trial examining whether
walnuts contribute to healthy aging, researchers evaluated if regular
walnut consumption, regardless of a person's diet or where they live,
has beneficial effects on lipoproteins.

This study was conducted from May 2012 to May 2016 and involved 708 participants between the ages of 63 and 79 (68% women) who were healthy, independent-living adults residing in Barcelona, Spain, and Loma Linda, California.



========================================================================== Participants were randomly divided into two groups: active intervention
and control. Those allocated to the intervention group added about a
half cup of walnuts to their usual daily diet, while participants in
the control group abstained from eating any walnuts. After two years, participants' cholesterol levels were tested, and the concentration
and size of lipoproteins were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This advanced test enables physicians to more accurately
identify lipoprotein features known to relate to the risk of
cardiovascular disease.

The two-year study had a 90% retention rate (632 participants completed
the study). Complete lipoprotein analyses were available in 628.

Among key findings of all study participants:
* At 2 years, participants in the walnut group had lower LDL
cholesterol
levels -- by an average of 4.3 mg/dL, and total cholesterol was
lowered by an average of 8.5 mg/dL.

* Daily consumption of walnuts reduced the number of total LDL
particles by
4.3% and small LDL particles by 6.1%. These changes in LDL particle
concentration and composition are associated with a lower risk of
cardiovascular disease.

* Intermediate Density Lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol also
decreased. It is
known that IDL cholesterol is a precursor to LDL and refers
to a density between that of low-density and very-low-density
lipoproteins. In the last decade, IDL cholesterol has emerged
as a relevant lipid cardiovascular risk factor independent of
LDL cholesterol.

* LDL cholesterol changes among the walnut group differed by sex;
in men,
LDL cholesterol fell by 7.9% and in women by 2.6%.

"While this is not a tremendous decrease in LDL cholesterol, it's
important to note that at the start of the study all our participants
were quite healthy, free of major non-communicable diseases. However, as expected in an elderly population, close to 50% of participants were being treated for both high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia. Thanks
in part to statin treatment in 32%, the average cholesterol levels of
all the people in our study were normal," Ros said. "For individuals
with high blood cholesterol levels, the LDL cholesterol reduction after
a nut-enriched diet may be much greater." "Eating a handful of walnuts
every day is a simple way to promote cardiovascular health. Many people
are worried about unwanted weight gain when they include nuts in their
diet," Ros said. "Our study found that the healthy fats in walnuts did
not cause participants to gain weight." The major limitation of this investigation is that both participants and researchers knew who was
and was not eating walnuts. However, the study did involve two very
different populations with distinct diets. "The outcomes were similar
in both groups, so we can safely apply the results of this study to
other populations," Ros said. More research is also needed to clarify
the different LDL results in men and women.

According to the American Heart Association, walnuts are especially
high in omega-3 fatty acids, the same heart-healthy fat found in oily
fish. A serving size is a small handful or 1.5 ounces of whole nuts or
2 tablespoons of nut butter.

The study was funded by the California Walnut Commission.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Heart_Association. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sujatha Rajaram, Montserrat Cofa'n, Aleix Sala-Vila, Ella Haddad,
Merce`
Serra-Mir, Edward Bitok, Irene Roth, Tania M. Freitas-Simoes,
Amandeep Kaur, Cinta Valls-Pedret, Mo'nica Dome'nech, Keiji
Oda, Dolores Corella, Joan Sabate', Emilio Ros. Effects of
Walnut Consumption for 2 Years on Lipoprotein Subclasses Among
Healthy Elders: Findings From the WAHA Randomized Controlled
Trial. Circulation, 2021; DOI: 10.1161/ CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054051 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830081805.htm

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