ABSTRACT
L., have been used as a folk medicine in Europe and Asia for treating coughs and stomach ache (Perry, 1980) and cancer (Duke, 1989). Hu et al. (1998) showed that frequent consumption of nuts may offer some protection from coronary heart disease. Nuts, such as walnuts, are relatively high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Iwamoto and coworkers (2000) examined the effect of walnuts on the serum cholesterol of Japanese men and women. A moderate intake of walnuts of 43-57 g/d, equivalent to 12.5 percent of energy, significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels in both Japanese men and women by 0.18 mmol/L and 0.22 mmol/L, respectively. The ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol was also significantly lowered, as was the apolipoprotein B concentration. A subsequent study by Almario et al. (2001) confirmed the ability of walnuts to beneficially reduce LDL cholesterol in patients with combined hyperlipidemia. Another study by Iwamoto et al. (2002) confirmed that a diet containing 44-58 g/day of walnuts fed to normal Japanese men and women lowered serum cholesterol, as well as had a beneficial effect on lipoproteins. In addition to lowering cholesterol, Ros and coworkers (2004) found that substituting walnuts for monounsaturated fat in a Mediterranean diet also improved endothelium vasodilation in hypercholesterolemic subjects. This suggested that the benefits of nuts went beyond just lowering cholesterol.
