ABSTRACT
Nuts contain high levels of protein, ber, and dietary fats, which in association with their pleasant avor and convenience, has led to the recommendation that they should be an essential part of a
healthy diet. This was recently endorsed by allowance of a quali ed health claim for a relationship between the consumption of nuts and reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [1]. Most tree nuts have low levels of saturated fats but high levels of desirable unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) such as oleic acid (18:1ω9) occur in almonds and hazelnuts and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as linoleic acid (18:2ω6) and α-linolenic acid (18:3ω3) predominate in walnuts [2]. A consistent decrease in serum cholesterol levels and reduced risk of CHD in humans was established by meta-analysis of ve controlled diet clinical intervention trials with walnuts [3] and analogous effects have been found with other nuts [4].
