Pistachio Nuts May Lower Cholesterol
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20100520/pistachio-nut-good-for-your-heart
Antioxidant-Rich Pistachio Nuts Good for the Heart, Researchers Say
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
WebMD News Archive
May 20, 2010 -- Long a staple of diets in the Mideast and around the Mediterranean, pistachio nuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, in part by decreasing cholesterol levels, a new study says.
Researchers say that pistachios are packed with antioxidants and are rich in several vitamins and minerals, such as selenium and iron, and also have healthy fats.
Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, ND, of Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, and colleagues, recruited 10 men and 18 women, all healthy nonsmokers, to eat the nuts.
They found that eating pistachios increased antioxidant levels in adults with high cholesterol.
“Our previous study showed the benefits of pistachios in lowering lipids and liproproteins, which are a risk factor for heart disease,” Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition, says in a news release. “This new study shows an additional effect of pistachios, so now there are multiple health benefits of eating pistachios.”
The little morsels also are high in antioxidants lutein, beta-carotene, and gamma-tocopherol, compared to other nuts. Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A. Gamma-tocopherol is a form of vitamin E. Lutein is found in dark green leafy vegetables and is important in vision and skin health.
The Benefits of Pistachios
The researchers say antioxidants are of interest because oxidized low-density lipoproteins, known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol, have been implicated in inflammation and plaque buildup inside blood vessels.
Antioxidants should prevent LDL from oxidizing, migrating into the blood vessel walls, and causing inflammation, a Penn State news release says.
“Currently, studies on antioxidants do not show major benefits,” Kris-Etherton says. “Maybe we are not studying people long enough. Maybe there is something in the food that travels with the antioxidants. The antioxidant story is very disappointing to the scientific community.”
That’s the case because studies on specific antioxidants have not shown health benefits. However, she says epidemiological studies do seem to suggest benefits.
She and her research team conducted a randomized, controlled feeding experiment to test the effects of eating pistachios on antioxidant levels when added to a healthy diet.
The participants began by eating a diet of 35% total fat and 11% saturated fat for two weeks -- what the scientists described as typically American. Later, they tested three diets for four weeks each, with about a two-week break between each one. The diets included one with no pistachios and about 25% total fat and 8% saturated fat, a diet with 10% of calories from pistachios, and a diet with 20% of calories from pistachios.
The diets with pistachios produced higher blood levels of beta-carotene, lutein, and gamma-tocopherol than the diet without pistachios. The pistachio-enriched diets also produced lower oxidized concentrations of LDL cholesterol.
The results, Kris-Etherton says, suggest that “a heart healthy diet including pistachios contributes to a decrease in serum oxidized-LDL levels, in part through cholesterol lowering, and also due to an added benefit of the antioxidants in the pistachios.”
The study is published in the June 2010 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
© 2010 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Answer:
Desirable
0-199
0-199
Borderline
200-239
200-239
High
240+
240+
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal.
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is borderline high. If your LDL goes higher, your total cholesterol level could become Borderline High. Consider reducing the amount of foods you eat with saturated fats and increasing physical activity. If you get more exercise, your level of "good" HDL cholesterol may increase, which could also help to keep your levels of LDL and total cholesterol in check.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL. The HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL because the HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. But your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe medication, such as statins. Following medication, dietary, and exercise instructions should result in improvements.
Your total cholesterol level is High, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe statins or other cholesterol-lowering medications.
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