Heart attack: Experts claim a vegan diet can 'help prevent' them
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More than four of five cardiovascular deaths are due to heart attacks and stroke, with a third of deaths occurring prematurely in people under the age of 70. The first year of COVID-19 brought an estimated 5,800 “excess” cardiovascular deaths as hospitals focused on the pandemic, stressing the need for better preventative measures. A new study, investigating the benefits of nuts for cardiovascular health, has determined how one nut in particular could lower the risk of a heart attack.
The study found that healthy adults who ate a handful of walnuts a day for two years successfully lowered their level of “bad” cholesterol.
Study co-author Emilio Ros, director of the Lipid Clinic at the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona Spain, said: “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.
“LDL particles come in various sizes. Research has shown that small, dense LDL particular are more often associated with atherosclerosis, the plaque or fatty deposits that build up in the arteries.
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“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.”
The study included 708 participants who were healthy, independent living adults.
The cohort was divided into two groups. One added half a cup of walnuts to their usual daily diet, while participants in the control group abstained from eating any walnuts.
Researchers tested the cholesterol levels of all participants after two years, as well as the size of lipoproteins, to determine the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Findings revealed that at two 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 also reduced LDL levels by 4.3 percent and small LDL particles by 6.1 percent.
These changes in LDL particle concentration and composition are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Furthermore, the decrease in LDL levels among the walnut-eating participants differed by sex; in men, KDK cholesterol feel by 7.9 percent while for women it fell by 2.6 percent.
Doctor Ros added: “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 percent of participants were being treated for both high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia.
“Thanks in part to statin treatments in 32 percents, the average cholesterol levels for all people in our study were normal.
“For individuals with high blood pressure, 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.
“Our study study found that the healthy fats in walnuts did not cause participants to gain weight.”
Cholesterol consists of different types of transport molecules. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) contains the most cholesterol, and is the fraction most closely associated with cardiovascular diseases.
Health experts recommend maintaining cholesterol ratios below a rating of five.
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