General fitness, health and nutrition · Public discussion

Re: Almonds

Jan · 2004-09-11T19:46:59+00:00

I am aware that there are many studies which show that nuts and almonds are very healthy. However, I remember seeing that only pistachios are able to *raise* the HDL levels. Hello, Jan! Pecans can also raise HDL: J Nutr. 2001 Sep;131(9):2275-9. A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich pecan-enriched diet favorably alters the serum lipid profile of healthy men and women. Rajaram S, Burke K, Connell B, Myint T, Sabate J. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA. Frequent consumption of nuts is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of pecans rich in monounsaturated fat as an alternative to the Step 1 diet in modifying serum lipids and lipoproteins in men and women with normal to moderately high serum cholesterol. In a single-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover feeding study, we assigned 23 subjects (mean age: 38 y; 9 women, 14 men) to follow two diets, each for 4 wk: a Step I diet and a pecan-enriched diet (accomplished by proportionately reducing all food items in a Step I diet by one fifth for a 20% isoenergetic replacement with pecans). The percentage of energy from fat in the two diets was 28.3 and 39.6%, respectively. Both diets improved the lipid profile; however, the pecan-enriched diet decreased both serum total and LDL cholesterol by 0.32 mmol/L (6.7 and 10.4%, respectively) and triglyceride by 0.14 mmol/L (11.1%) beyond the Step I diet, while increasing HDL cholesterol by 0.06 mmol/L (2.5 mg/dL). Serum apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) decreased by 11.6 and 11.1%, respectively, and apolipoprotein A1 increased by 2.2% when subjects consumed the pecan compared with the Step I diet. These differences were all significant (P < 0.05). A 20% isoenergetic replacement of a Step I diet with pecans favorably altered the serum lipid profile beyond the Step I diet, without increasing body weight. Nuts such as pecans that are rich in monounsaturated fat may therefore be recommended as part of prescribed cholesterol-lowering diet of patients or habitual diet of healthy individuals. Hi cde, And thank you for providing this study. It seems to me that pistachios are still more effective in raising HDL levels. But what is interesting to me is the fact that pecans decrease lipoprotein(a). Have you got any knowledge about other foods that would decrease it? Jan

Started by Jan · 11 September 2004 · Last activity 11 September 2004 · 3 posts · 327 views

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Original section: General fitness, health and nutrition
Published: 11 September 2004
Last activity: 11 September 2004
Original author: Jan
Posts: 3
Discussion status: Public discussion
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Original post
Jan
Archived post

11 September 2004, 19:46 UTC #1

cde said:
Jan said:
I am aware that there are many studies which show that nuts and

almonds
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
are very healthy. However, I remember seeing that only pistachios

are
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
able to *raise* the HDL levels.
Hello, Jan!
Pecans can also raise HDL:
J Nutr. 2001 Sep;131(9):2275-9.
A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich pecan-enriched diet favorably

alters
Quoted message said:
the serum lipid profile of healthy men and women.
Rajaram S, Burke K, Connell B, Myint T, Sabate J.
Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda

University,
Quoted message said:
Loma Linda, California, USA.
Frequent consumption of nuts is associated with decreased risk of
cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of pecans rich in
monounsaturated fat as an alternative to the Step 1 diet in modifying
Quoted message said:
serum lipids and lipoproteins in men and women with normal to

moderately
Quoted message said:
high serum cholesterol. In a single-blind, randomized, controlled,
crossover feeding study, we assigned 23 subjects (mean age: 38 y; 9
women, 14 men) to follow two diets, each for 4 wk: a Step I diet
and a pecan-enriched diet (accomplished by proportionately reducing

all
Quoted message said:
food items in a Step I diet by one fifth for a 20% isoenergetic
replacement with pecans). The percentage of energy from fat in the

two
Quoted message said:
diets was 28.3 and 39.6%, respectively. Both diets improved the lipid
Quoted message said:
profile; however, the pecan-enriched diet decreased both serum total

and
Quoted message said:
LDL cholesterol by 0.32 mmol/L (6.7 and 10.4%, respectively) and
triglyceride by 0.14 mmol/L (11.1%) beyond the Step I diet, while
increasing HDL cholesterol by 0.06 mmol/L (2.5 mg/dL). Serum
apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) decreased by 11.6 and 11.1%,
respectively, and apolipoprotein A1 increased by 2.2% when subjects
consumed the pecan compared with the Step I diet. These differences

were
Quoted message said:
all significant (P < 0.05). A 20% isoenergetic replacement of a Step

I
Quoted message said:
diet with pecans favorably altered the serum lipid profile beyond the
Quoted message said:
Step I diet, without increasing body weight. Nuts such as pecans that
Quoted message said:
are rich in monounsaturated fat may therefore be recommended as part

of
Quoted message said:
prescribed cholesterol-lowering diet of patients or habitual diet of
healthy individuals.
Hi cde,
And thank you for providing this study. It seems to me that pistachios
are still more effective in raising HDL levels. But what is interesting
to me is the fact that pecans decrease lipoprotein(a). Have you got any
knowledge about other foods that would decrease it?
Jan

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Mirek Fidler
Archived post

11 September 2004, 20:39 UTC #2

Quoted message said:
And thank you for providing this study. It seems to me that pistachios
are still more effective in raising HDL levels. But what is

interesting
Quoted message said:
to me is the fact that pecans decrease lipoprotein(a). Have you got

any
Quoted message said:
knowledge about other foods that would decrease it?
Saturated fat.
Mirek

Report
cde
Archived post

11 September 2004, 20:48 UTC #3

Jan said:

Hi cde,
And thank you for providing this study. It seems to me that pistachios
are still more effective in raising HDL levels. But what is interesting
to me is the fact that pecans decrease lipoprotein(a). Have you got any
knowledge about other foods that would decrease it?
Fish combined with fruits, vegetables, and a handful of the right
nuts/seeds (a very high fiber diet) will decrease Lp(a).
-------------------------------------
Lancet. 1996 Sep 21;348(9030):784-8.
Comment in:
Lancet. 1996 Nov 23;348(9039):1460.
Blood pressure and atherogenic lipoprotein profiles of fish-diet and
vegetarian villagers in Tanzania: the Lugalawa study.
Pauletto P, Puato M, Caroli MG, Casiglia E, Munhambo AE, Cazzolato G,
Bittolo Bon G, Angeli MT, Galli C, Pessina AC.
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Universita di Padova,
Italy.
BACKGROUND: There is evidence that populations with a high intake of
fish, and specifically fish oils, are at reduced risk of cardiovascular
disease. To explore the effect of fish intake, we compared two groups of
Bantu villagers in Tanzania; one group live on the shores of Lake Nyasa
and their diet includes large amounts of freshwater fish; the other
group live in the nearby hills and have a vegetarian diet. METHODS: We
carried out a cross-sectional study of 622 fish-consuming villagers and
686 vegetarian villagers. 618 (99.4%) and 645 (94.0%), respectively,
agreed to take part. Anthropometric and self-reported medical history
data were collected by one local physician and a medical assistant, who
also measured blood pressure and took blood samples for measurement of
plasma lipids. A dietary questionnaire was administered to 25 families
(about 15% of the study population) in each village. FINDINGS: After
adjustment for age, sex, and alcohol intake the fish-consuming group had
lower mean blood pressure than the vegetarian group (123/72 vs 133/76 mm
Hg, p < 0.001). The frequencies of definite and borderline hypertension
(by WHO criteria) were lower in the fish-consuming than in the
vegetarian group (2.8 vs 16.4%; 9.7 vs 22.3%, respectively). Plasma
concentrations of total cholesterol (mean 3.53 [SD 1.04] vs 4.10 [1.04]
mmol/L), triglycerides (0.92 [0.64] vs 1.31 [0.64] mmol/L), and
lipoprotein(a) (201 [213] vs 321 [212] mg/L), were all lower
(p < 0.0001) in the fish-consuming group than in the vegetarian group.
The proportions of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids were
higher (p < 0.0001) in the fish-consuming group than in the vegetarian
group (eicosapentaenoic acid 2.3 [1.3] vs 0.7 [0.2]%; docosapentaenoic
acid 1.1 [0.4] vs 0.6 [0.3]%; docosahexaenoic acid 5.7 [1.6] vs 1.5
[1.1]%). INTERPRETATION: In these villagers, consumption of freshwater
fish (300-600 g daily) was associated with raised plasma concentrations
of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, lower blood pressure, and lower
plasma lipid concentrations.
PMID: 8813985 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
See also:
Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Popovich DG, Vidgen E, Mehling CC, Vuksan V,
Ransom TP, Rao AV, Rosenberg-Zand R, Tariq N, Corey P, Jones PJ, Raeini
M, Story JA, Furumoto EJ, Illingworth DR, Pappu AS, Connelly PW. Effect
of a very-high-fiber vegetable, fruit, and nut diet on serum lipids and
colonic function. Metabolism. 2001 Apr;50(4):494-503.
PMID: 11288049 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (55 g fiber/1000 kcal
diet, 5 kg fruits/vegetables + 90 g nuts/seeds per day).
I can send you this and a related paper if you do not already have it.
Also--
almonds
Circulation. 2002 Sep 10;106(11):1327-32,
PMID: 12221048
flax
Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Mar;69(3):395-402.
PMID: 10075322
another high fruit/vegetable/nut trial:
Metabolism. 1997 May;46(5):530-7.
PMID: 9160820

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