Omega-3 Fats From Walnuts Versus Fatty Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, have been shown to reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Therefore, eating fish is one way to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Interestingly enough, in a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the effects of walnuts and fatty fish on blood lipids and found that walnuts reduced total and LDL or bad cholesterol while fatty fish reduced triglyceride levels.

Both high LDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels can lead to cardiovascular disease. Based on the study results, the researchers suggest eating a diet that contains both walnuts and fatty fish as a means of reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of walnuts and 5 grams of omega-3 fats from fish or fish oil should be adequate.

References
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disease risk, talk to a registered dietitian about the best course of action when it comes to diet and nutrition. You can find a registered dietitian/RD by visiting www.eatright.org, the American Dietetic Association website. Nearly 70,000 registered dietitians are ready to serve.
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Did you read today's Daily Diet Guide?

Walnuts

Walnuts are simply fabulous.

They're nutritious.

They're tasty.

They're versatile.

And they pack a punch when it comes to lowering your bad cholesterol.

Researchers have found that eating as little as 1 to 1.5 ounces of walnuts can lower total and LDL cholesterol levels. Lowering your LDL cholesterol reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Worried about calories due to the oil in walnuts?

Don't be. Eating walnuts as part of a well-balanced diet will not cause you to gain too much weight. Just make sure that your diet is well-balanced and within your calorie needs.

One smart way to control your calories would be to eliminate  or drastically reduce foods that contain trans fats or saturated fats and replace them with antioxidant-rich walnuts or walnut oil.

Referencess

American Journal Clinical Nutrition

Get help planning your heart-healthy diet. Talk to a registered dietitian.
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Read the Daily Diet Guide

Cholesterol and Diabetes

If you have diabetes, your chances of having high cholesterol levels may be increased. Heart disease is a common problem in people with diabetes. Therefore, you should take measures to control your cholesterol.

Having diabetes also puts you at higher risk for having elevated triglyceride levels. High levels of triglyceride may make you more prone to heart disease. So, take steps to reduce your triglyceride levels, as well. Triglycerides are small particles of fat that are in your fat cells. They also circulate throughout your body.

If your doctor finds that you are at high risk for heart disease due to high cholesterol or triglycerides, take note. He will most likely advise you on making diet and lifestyle changes to lower your risk. He may also prescribe drugs to lower your cholesterol levels. Controlling your triglyceride levels depends to a great extent on your ability to make appropriate changes to your diet and getting more exercise. Controlling your blood sugar levels is also a major factor.

Of note: Walnuts have been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL or bad cholesterol while fish oil lowers triglyceride levels. So, add 1 to 1.5 ounces of walnuts to your daily diet and eat at least two servings of fish weekly to control your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Heart Disease: The Cholesterol Link 2 - HDL Cholesterol

HDL Cholesterol
As mentioned in my previous blog (November 10, 2010) cholesterol is a waxy substance that is important for a number of vital functions, like forming vitamin D, hormone production and as part of the nerves and other cells in your body. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol plays a vital role in lowering the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

On the other hand, high levels of LDL does just the opposite, causing the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can then lead to a heart attack or stroke..

HDL Lowers Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke
HDL or good cholesterol appears to prevent cardiovascular disease by removing LDL cholesterol from the blood and recycling it in the liver. By removing the LDL cholesterol from your blood, HDL reduces the chances of plaque buildup and the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

HDL cholesterol should be above 40 mg/dL. If it is below 40 mg/dL, you risk of having a heart attack or stroke increases. The desirable ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol is about 1 to 4 (1 mg/dl HDL to 4 mg/dl LDL cholesterol).

Improving Your HDL to LDL Ratio
One way to reduce your risk of heart disease is to improve the boost your HDL cholesterol and lower your LDL cholesterol. There are several things that you can do to achieve that goal - diet, exercise and lose weight if you are overweight.

Diet. One of the most important things you can do to reduce your LDL cholesterol is to avoid foods that contain trans fat and limit your intake of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is not enough to just reduce your intake of cholesterol, since your body makes most of the cholesterol that is in your blood. By limiting your intake of trans fat and saturated fat, you may be able to reduce the amount of cholesterol that your liver produces.

In addition to controlling your fat intake, it is also important to eat foods that are high-fiber, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried beans and peas. F

Avoiding foods with added sugar (including high fructose corn syrup), and highly refined and processed foods, especially foods made with white flour is also important, especially if you are trying to cut calories to lose weight.

Exercise. Exercise can help to lower your cholesterol and improve the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol in your blood, improve blood circulation and strengthen your heart muscles.

Lose weight. If you are overweight, lose the excess body weight. Studies show that losing as little as 10 percent of your body weight can result in tremendous improvements in a number of health parameters, including lowering your total cholesterol and improving the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol.

Resources
Good vs. Bad Cholesterol
High Blood Cholesterol, Treatments
.

Heart Disease: The Cholesterol Link - LDL Cholesterol

What is LDL Cholesterol? 
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is made by your liver and found in the cell membranes and blood. You can also get it from the foods you eat. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol for short, is called bad cholesterol because if you have too much of this form of cholesterol in your blood, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol also travels through your body as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is called good cholesterol because it has a favorable effect on your health. An important function is to clear the LDL or bad cholesterol from your blood. This can help to lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The Good News About Cholesterol
You hear so much about the harmful effect of high cholesterol that you probably never stop to think that this substance could be of any good.  That is where you would be mistaken. In fact, you actually need cholesterol for a number of important functions. For example, cholesterol is used to make vitamin D. It is also used for making hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and is an important part of the structure and function of nerves and the membrane of every cell.

The Bad News About LDL Cholesterol - Plaque
LDL cholesterol becomes dangerous when there is too much in your blood. That is because when the levels get too high, it could cause plaque to build up in your blood vessels. This in turn can cause the arteries to become narrow and interfere with normal blood flow to your heart. When this happens, your heart may not get enough oxygen. As a result, it has to work harder and can become damaged from lack of oxygen and the increased work it must perform.

Another serious danger of plaque is that it can break away from the arterial wall, form a blood clot and block the flow of blood to vital organs like the heart or brain. The end result could be a heart attack or a stroke.

Reducing Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

You can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by keeping your LDL cholesterol low and your HDL high.

What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
Knowing your cholesterol numbers can help you determine if you are at risk for cholesterol-related cardiovascular disease. A simple blood test can be done to measure your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. Make a special effort to know your numbers and what they mean. The following information may be helpful. (I will discuss ways to lower your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol in the next blog.)

Total cholesterol:

Less than 200 mg/dL is considered desirable
200 - 239 is borderline high
240 mg/dL and above is high

LDL cholesterol:
Less than 100 mg/dL is optimal
100 to 129 near optimal
130 - 159 mg/dL is borderline
160 - 189 mg/dL is high
190 mg/dL and above is very high

HDL cholesterol:
60 and above is high, which means it is protective
40 mg/dL and above for men and 60 and above for women is good
Below 40 is bad

Next blog post: Heart Disease: The Cholesterol Link - HDL Cholesterol

Resources
Thematic review series: Brain Lipids. Cholesterol metabolism in the central nervous system during early development and in the mature animal
High Blood Cholesterol: What Is
What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean

Health Benefits of Monounsaturated Fats from Avocado

Overview

Avocado is a fruit that offers tremendous health benefits. One of the key benefits of avocado is promoting cardiovascular health. This protection comes from its high content of monounsaturated fats.

Nutrients in Avocado

Avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber and potassium, which help to control cholesterol and promote blood flow to the heart, brain and other organs.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats found in avocado act as powerful antioxidants, mopping up free radicals and preventing them from damaging your heart and blood vessels. Monounsaturated fats also help to lower cholesterol levels and improve the ratio of HDL or 'good" cholesterol to LDL or "bad" cholesterol in the blood. 

Health Benefits

• Heart disease. Monounsaturated fats help to prevent heart disease and stroke by increasing HDL or "good" cholesterol, lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol and reducing triglycerides.

• Skin health. Monounsaturated fats help to promote blood flow to your skin, build collagen and maintain healthier, smoother looking skin.

• Brain function. Monounsaturated fats may help to prevent or slow the  progression of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by improving blood flow to your brain and protecting your brain cells from oxidative damage.

• Weight loss. Despite it's high fat content, studies show you can lose weight on a diet that includes avocado. Simply substitute a about 3 thin slices of avocado for other fats in your diet. Avocados may also cause a decrease in appetite, which could result in fewer calories consumed, thus promoting weight loss.

Resources

High density lipoproteins (HDL) size and comp... PubMed result
Avocado consumption is associated with better .... The FASEB Journal
The effects of various avocado oils on skin collagen

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Overview

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease and may provide a number of other health benefits, as well. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol from grapes.

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Studies show that resveratrol promotes health by protecting cells in your body from oxidative damage. The effects of resveratrol in protecting the heart and blood vessels is clear. On the other hand, the effect on cancer. obesity and other diseases is not so clear. 

• Heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine promotes heart health by reducing “LDL or ‘bad” cholesterol and increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol. Studies show that resveratrol may also work by reducing inflammation in the cells. Inflammation is a major cause of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
• Cancer. Laboratory studies show that resveratrol can prevent the growth of cancer in cell culture and in some laboratory animals by interfering with the ability of cancer cells to multiply and grow. However, further investigations will be needed to determine if the same effects can be achieved with humans.
• Obesity. Resveratrol might help to prevent or treat obesity, based on studies in rats in which  resveratrol prevented fat cells from maturing. Resveratrol also appears to change the size and function of fat cells. However, researchers caution that more studies would be needed to determine the long-term effects of such treatment on humans.

Food Sources of Resveratrol

The most common food sources of resveratrol are red wine, grapes and purple grape juice. Other sources include berries, such as blueberries and cranberries.

A Word About Drinking

Red wine is a good source of resveratrol and offers real health benefits to people who drink responsibly. It is also an alcoholic beverage, which means it has the potential for abuse. Excessive drinking could lead to alcoholism, liver damage and other serious health problems. Recognizing these potential dangers, the American Heart Association and others caution against drinking too much. The recommended limit for those who drink is one drink (12 ounces of wine) per day for women and 2 drinks (24 ounces of wine) per day for men.

Resources

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 - PubMed result

The Endocrine Society