Almonds, peanuts, cashews and even macadamia nuts have no cholesterol, good or bad in them, fortunately.
A serving of almonds is calculated as 28 nuts, and that's 170 calories, as my Doctor would say, "nuts are calorie rich". That compares to 50 calories in a 5 ounce service of broccoli.
I misspoke. I should have said "good fats" instead of good cholesterol. They can, however, positively
impact your cholesterol readings.
From WebMD
The New Low-Cholesterol Diet: Nuts
Nuts aren't just for holidays anymore. Key nuts can help you lower cholesterol. Add nuts to your low-cholesterol diet.
Reviewed by
Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Feature Archive
Nuts get a bad rap. A lot of people still see them as salty, fatty, and high calorie -- a junk food deserving exile to the carts of vendors or the snack bowls of dingy, smoky bars.
But nutritionists say that certain nuts deserve an honored spot in the kitchen of every healthy eater (as long as you're not allergic, of course.) Nuts have lots of protein, fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats,
vitamins,
nutrients, and
antioxidants. And many studies have shown that nuts have powerful
cholesterol-lowering effects.
The benefits were clear enough for the FDA in 2003 to issue a "qualified health claim" for peanuts and certain tree nuts -- almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. The claim allows some nuts and foods made with them to carry this claim: "Eating a diet that includes one ounce of nuts daily can reduce your risk of
heart disease."
So it's time to dust off your nutcrackers or pull the lid off a can of nuts. Taken in moderation, these nuts are good for you.
Foods To Help Lower LDL (‘Bad’) Cholesterol
"Walnuts are great because they have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD. "Other nuts don't."
Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fatty fish like tuna and salmon. We know that omega-3 fatty acids lower levels of
triglycerides, a type of fat in the bloodstream. Experts are not exactly sure how. Omega-3 fatty acids may also slow down the growth of plaques inthe
arteries and prevent
blood clots.
There are a number of small studies that show that walnuts help
lower cholesterol.
One 2004 study of 58 adults with
diabetes looked at the effects of eating a handful of walnuts each day in addition to a healthy diet. The researchers found that on average, people who ate the walnuts had an increase in their good
HDL cholesterol and a drop of 10% in their bad LDL
cholesterol levels. The results were published in the journal
Diabetes Care.
Walnuts received their own, separate qualified health claim from the FDA in 2004, stating that they may reduce the risk of
heart disease.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/nuts-help-lower-bad-cholesterol
___________________________________________________________________________
From Mayo Clinic
Walnuts, almonds and other nuts
Walnuts, almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol. Rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.
Eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. Make sure the nuts you eat aren't salted or coated with sugar.
All nuts are high in calories, so a handful will do. To avoid eating too many nuts and gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/art-20045192
