Dear Friends:
From time to time I have been
writing about dietary factors in health. I have written a number of things
on vitamins, most frequently chocolate, one of my favorite subjects. Now
the topic is nuts.
Not nuts to you, but nuts FOR you.
It turns out that regular eating of all kinds of nuts, i.e., almonds,
hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, etc., appear to significantly
reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. Why should this be so? Nuts
contain high levels of magnesium, Vitamin E, and flavonoids, all of which
have been associated with a reduction in life-threatening heart rhythms
disservices and coronary artery disease, leading to premature morbidity and
mortality. In fact, the risk of sudden death in one study was reduced by
47%. Nuts are also a good source of calories and non-saturated fatty acids,
all of which are very good for your nutrition.
Remember that salted nuts create
an unnecessary risk to fluid retention, which should be avoided. You can
quickly adjust your palate to non-salted nuts, as I have done over many
years. Peanuts, of course, are not nuts but legumes; however, legumes also
have some of the dietary advantages of nuts.
So "it is OK to go
nutty" over nuts. It will be good for your heart health and provide a
nice supplement to your diet. Chocolate-covered almonds, anyone?
I'll be in touch next month.
Your friend,
