Eating Almonds Lowers Bad Cholesterol! Study reveals that people at risk of cardiovascular disease eat "this amount" a day to reduce LDL cholesterol

Low-density cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease and is often referred to as bad cholesterol. Studies have found that ingesting "original unflavored almonds (almonds)" as a snack can improve the function of vascular endothelial cells and reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Dietitians suggest that a balanced diet, reducing high-fat and high-sugar snacks, and replacing some of the oil or snacks with nuts are helpful for health.

Zhuang Xinyue, a nutritionist, said that in 2020, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a literature that studied the 30- to 70-year-olds who had the habit of consuming more than 2 snacks and had some risk of micro-cardiovascular disease. Britons were divided into two groups in a 6-week randomized controlled experiment. The snacks during the first 2 weeks were all eaten mini muffin cakes.

Then divided into almond eating group (51 people) and cake eating group (56 people). These snacks accounted for 20% of each person's estimated daily calorie requirement. That is, 20% of them were provided as a snack source, and the almond group was 400 calories of almonds. Blood vessel endothelial function, fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease-related metabolic and biochemical indicators were monitored before and after the experiment.

Studies have shown that eating almonds can increase endothelial cell-dependent vasodilation and reduce LDL cholesterol

The results showed that the almond group had increased endothelial cell-dependent vasodilation, decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and heart rate variability in the middle of the night. Low frequency power) increased, indicating enhanced parasympathetic modulation. The two groups of fatty liver, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, liver function enzymes, fetuin-A. There were no differences in body composition, pancreas fat, intramuscular lipids, fecal short-chain fatty acids, and blood pressure or 24-hour heart rate variability.

The conclusion is that eating almonds as a snack can improve endothelial function and reduce LDL cholesterol in some individuals at risk of micro-cardiovascular disease. Zhuang Xinyue said that it is recommended that the public have a balanced diet, reduce the intake of high-fat and high-sugar snacks, and replace part of the oil or snacks with nuts, which will be of great help to health.

Dietary recommendations for cardiovascular disease include nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables and high-quality protein, combined with unrefined whole grains and good oils, and limited refined sugars and saturated fats. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Daily Dietary Guidelines also mention that "it is recommended to consume one serving (1 tablespoon) of nuts per day", which is the so-called "good oil". Nuts to choose from are watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts.

Taking almonds as an example, it contains unsaturated fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, trace elements, vitamin E, vitamin B2, niacin, magnesium, polyphenols, arginine, plant solid (sterol) alcohol Wait. Therefore, you can usually consider using almonds or other nuts to replace bread, biscuits, pastries, etc., as a source of snacks on weekdays.

◎ Image source/Provided by Dazhi Image/shutterstock ◎ Source/Zhuang Xinyue nutritionist