Lipid Disorders and Nuts

Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts and other nuts are all rich in monounsaturated fat, which is considered to be a "healthy fat." Encouraging research evidence suggests that nuts such as these may improve lipid profile and reduce heart disease risk.

Nuts may have a number of properties that make them effective at lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. For one thing, many of them are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are considered to be "heart-healthy" fats, especially if they replace "unhealthy" trans and saturated fats in the diet.

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A growing body of evidence suggests that increased consumption of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts may improve lipid profile and reduce heart disease risk, presumably because of their high monounsaturated fat content.^{101-109,163,211-212,281}

Walnut oil has shown some promise for reducing triglycerides.³¹

Nuts are widely available in a number of forms: raw, roasted, whole, salted, unsalted, flavored, ground into nut butters, and incorporated into other foods, such as granola. Different nuts offer a variety of flavors and textures. You can eat them alone, as a snack, or incorporate them into dishes you already enjoy, such as salads, oatmeal, yogurt, or stir fries.

• Nutritionist or dietitian
• Naturopathic doctor
• Integrative MD

Nuts are a relatively common source of food sensitivity and food allergy. Do not eat nuts that you know or suspect are harmful to you.

Certain nuts may be hard for some people to digest. This is particularly the case with raw nuts, such as almonds, because they contain naturally-occurring preservatives. This problem can be reduced or eliminated by soaking and/or lightly roasting nuts.

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