Walnuts are not only good for their taste, but they also help keeping ones heart healthy. According to Spanish researchers, walnuts may be heart-healthy nuts.
While both raw walnuts and olive oil decreased the sudden onset of arterial inflammation and oxidation after an unhealthy meal, the walnuts were better at keeping arteries flexible, they found.
But patients should not take this as an excuse to regularly eat fat-filled meals, followed by a handful of walnuts, said Emilio Ros, M.D., Ph.D., of the Lipid Clinic at Hospital Cl'nico, and colleagues, in the October 17 Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study, they pointed out, was small, and it looked at the effect of a single meal on individuals whose regular fare was a healthy Mediterranean diet.
The Med diet, rich in cereals, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains, fish and olive oil, has been linked to longer life, less heart disease, and protection against some cancers. The diet's main nutritional components include beta-carotene, vitamin C, tocopherols, polyphenols, and essential minerals.
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