Eating walnuts daily may lower bad cholesterol and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

DOI:10.1161 / CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054051

Commentary

Eating about ½ cup of walnuts daily for two years resulted in a modest reduction in levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and a decrease in the number of total LDL particles and small LDL, according to a study published August 30, 2021.

Walnuts have long been shown to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid), which have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. It has also been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke, possibly due to its ability to improve the quality of LDL particles.

A substudy of the Walnuts and Healthy Aging study involved a large two-year randomized controlled trial to evaluate the beneficial effects of regular walnut consumption, regardless of a person's diet or where they live.

From May 2012 to May 2016, 708 healthy adult participants (68% female) between the ages of 63 and 79 living in Barcelona, Spain and Loma Linda, California were included in the study.

The participants were randomly divided into two groups: those assigned to the intervention group added about half a cup of walnuts to their daily diet, while the control group refrained from eating walnuts.

After two years, the participants' cholesterol levels were tested, and lipoprotein concentration and size were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, with a retention rate of 90%, and complete lipoprotein analysis available at 628.

After two years, the LDL cholesterol levels of participants in the walnut group dropped by an average of 4.3 mg/dL, and total cholesterol dropped by an average of 8.5 mg/dL.

The results showed that daily consumption of walnuts reduced the total number of LDL particles by 4.3% and small LDL particles by 6.1% These changes in the concentration and composition of LDL particles are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.