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Fish, walnuts reduce heart disease risk

Posted on: Monday, 13 April 2009, 16:21 CDT

In healthy individuals, walnuts lower cholesterol more than fish, fatty fish lower triglycerides and both lower heart disease risk, U.S. researchers said.

The practical significance of the study is that eating an easy-to-incorporate amount of walnuts and fatty fish can cause meaningful decreases in blood cholesterol and triglycerides even in healthy individuals, lead author Sujatha Rajaram of Loma Linda University School of Public Health said in a statement.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that incorporating approximately 1.5 ounces of walnuts -- a handful of whole nuts or about three tablespoons of chopped nuts -- into the daily diet lowered serum total cholesterol by 5.4 percent and low-density lipoprotein, or bad, cholesterol by 9.3 percent compared to a control diet based on U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendations.

Using American Heart Association guidelines, the researchers also found that a diet including two servings of fatty fish per week -- roughly four ounces each -- decreased triglyceride levels by 11.4 percent.

Additionally, it increased high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol, by 4 percent, but also slightly increased LDL cholesterol compared to the control diet. The fish used in the study was salmon.

If fatty fish is not a preferred option for marine-derived omega-3 fat, other options include microalgae oil or DHA-enriched eggs, Rajaram said.

Source: United Press International

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