Saturday, November 13, 2010

Walnuts may lower heart attack risk

Feeling stressed? Eat walnuts….that's the advice from a new study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Researchers found that a diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body to deal better with stressful situations.

Sheila West, associate professor of bio behavioral health, said this: "People who show an exaggerated biological response to stress are at higher risk of heart disease... We wanted to find out if omega 3-fatty acids from plant sources would blunt cardiovascular responses to stress."

Their research showed that adding walnuts and walnut oil to the diet could lower both resting blood pressure, and blood pressure responses to stress.

Walnuts are a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. And, it's probable that these compounds are responsible for the beneficial effects. 

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