|
Eat pecan nuts to reduce the risk of heart diseases
30/Sep/2006: A new study has found that eating pecan nuts can inhibit unwanted oxidation in blood vessels, reducing the risk of heart diseases. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), is a tree native to southeastern North America and its nuts are edible, rich in protein and unsaturated fats, with a buttery flavor.
The study conducted by a team of scientists from Loma Linda University in Southern California, found that adding pecan nuts to our daily diet can reduce the risk of heart diseases, as the Vitamin E in the pecan nuts reduces lipid oxidation in our body.
Dr. Ella Haddad, the lead author of the study said that eating pecan nuts increases the level of gama tocopherol (one of the eight forms of vitamin E) in blood, which helps in reducing unwanted oxidation in blood vessels.
He added that pecan nuts are a rich source of phytonutrients that can have unique effects on the body and eating pecan nuts reduces lipid oxidation, which helps in preventing heart disease like arteriosclerosis. Oxidation of bad cholesterol in blood is detrimental to health and can lead to arteriosclerosis.
As a part of this study, scientists analyzed blood samples of 23 participants in the age group of 25 -55, who ate two diets, one that contained pecan nuts and the other that did not. They found that the Gama tocopherols levels in the participants’ blood were much higher when they were on a diet consisting of pecan nuts, which reduced lipid oxidation by 7.4%.
This made the researchers conclude that consumption of pecan nuts reduces the risk of arterial diseases like arteriosclerosis in healthy individuals.
Even though pecan nuts contained high levels of unsaturated fats, the phytonutrients present in the nuts protects us from these unsaturated fats, which are prone to oxidation themselves. The findings of this study were published in the latest issue of ‘Nutrition Research’.
K Siva
Further Eczema Reading
http://www.abscofitness.com/
|
 Eco
Features
Eco
Guides
Health
& Lifestyle
Mail
This Page
Link
To Us
Bookmark
Archives
 Recent Articles
Cows contribute to global warming!
New treatment for acne scars
Researchers develop a novel treatment for dementia
Ovulation influence women’s lifestyle
Fighting global warming could benefit world economies
|
