Antioxidants in walnuts improve the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet

Walnuts used to replace a third of the olive oil and avocado fat in a Mediterranean diet for four weeks was shown to improve blood cholesterol, LDL levels and vascular function in men and women with high cholesterol. Blood levels of one form of vitamin E doubled.  This study provides evidence that the antioxidants and the n-3 fatty acids in walnuts can improve the effect of the Mediterranean diet.

PositiveTip: Try adding a few walnuts to your salads or replacing a poor snack of junk food with a handful of walnuts to improve your heart health.

Walnuts & fatty fish influence different serum lipids in normal to mildly hyperlipidemic people.

Eating one and a half ounces of walnuts a day for a week lowered both total and LDL cholesterol by 5.4% and 9.3%, respectively. For every 1% drop in LDL cholesterol there is a 2% drop in coronary heart disease risk, so this translates to an 18.6% reduced risk of heart disease. 

In contrast, two 4-ounce servings a week of salmon raised HDL cholesterol about 4% and decreased triglycerides by 11%. However, for people with mild to moderately high cholesterol levels, salmon actually raised both the total and LDL cholesterol.

PositiveTip: Replacing servings of meat with 1.5 oz. of walnuts daily in cereal or added to salad can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Soy milk lowers cardiovascular risk, extends survival and prevents brain neuron loss.

Rats fed a soy milk supplemented diet showed decreased total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Soy milk decreased fat peroxidation in brain, liver and kidney tissue. Animals with soy milk in their diet lost fewer brain neurons and survived significantly longer than those on a standard diet.

PositiveTip: Soy milk can be great way to improve lipid profiles and reduce tissue damage from oxidative stress.

Inadequate sleep in young women could raise the risk of heart disease years later.

A convincing association has been found between short sleep duration and high cholesterol levels in young women. More than 14,000 participants in grades 7-12 were selected and then followed for 6 years. Self-reported short sleep duration was associated with 15% more high cholesterol, even after adjustments for confounders. Heart disease begins early in life, so it is essential to reduce as many risk factors as possible.

PositiveTip: Encourage your teens to get adequate sleep--it may reduce their risk of heart disease in the future.

Flaxseed consumption may be a helpful dietary approach for lowering total and LDL-cholesterol.

Flaxseed is the richest plant source of alpha-linolenic acid and dietary lignans, a soluble dietary fiber. A number of clinical trials have investigated the effects of flaxseed and flaxseed-derived products on blood lipids, but the findings have been inconsistent. Researchers pooled the results of 28 such studies in a meta-analysis to assess the impact of these food products on humans. The median dose was 2-3 tablespoons per day of flaxseed in various forms. Interventions using whole ground flaxseed produced significant reductions in total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (bad kind), but flaxseed oil did not.

High selenium status increases risk of high cholesterol and diabetes.

Selenium, an essential element necessary for proper cellular function, has recently become a popular supplement thought to have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. A new British study has linked high levels of selenium to increased levels of total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. The U.K. has lower selenium status that the U.S. making it a good place for a study like this. High selenium status has also recently been linked to a higher incidence of diabetes.