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.