Speaking to an American Heart Association meeting in Dallas, the researchers say research based on a study of diets of 22,000 physicians indicates individuals with a hefty nut intake had a lower risk of death from heart disease.
Further, a Tufts University study of more than 40 individuals with normal blood pressure on an oat-based diet managed to lower cholesterol readings by up to 34 percent when compared to others placed on wheat-based fare. The oat eaters also saw a drop in average blood pressure of more than three times that experienced by those whose diet concentrated on wheat.
The researchers say the amount of soluble fiber in the oats may have played a major role in reducing both blood pressure and cholesterol readings. The heart benefit from nuts noted in the study of physicians may be linked to the presence of alpha-linolenic acid in the nuts, researchers say. The substance is suspected to play a role in preventing abnormal changes in heartbeat -- which can lead to death.
