Scientific articles about the healthy benefits of tree nuts in human health
Nucis (Health and Tree Nuts) Foundation is a non profit organisation born in 1999, headquartered in Spain, which main objectives are the study, investigation and the diffusion of the nutritional and dietetic characteristics of tree nuts, especially of the healthy beneficial effects. Nucis promotes the healthy qualities of almonds, Brazil walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine kernels, pistachios and walnuts. More information at http://www.nucis.org For some time people have been studying the effects on health of eating nuts. The medical and scientific studies undertaken conclude that, thanks to the exceptional nutritional profile which they have, the regular consumption of nuts gives protection against certain types of cancer, helps to control cholesterol levels, and reduces the mortality caused by cardiovascular disease, at the same time as not causing any weight gain in the person eating them. In this way, the negative connotations which were held about these foods have been evolving to the present point, where all nutrition and food specialists recognise the functional properties which nuts have. The first to offer evidence on the favourable effect on health of nuts were prospective observational studies undertaken in large groups of people. The majority of these were centred on the possible relationship between eating nuts and cardiovascular disease such as myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. The first published in this area was the Adventist Health Study (1992), undertaken in a population of Adventists in California. The study was conducted on a population of 31,208 people of Caucasian race, Adventists, whose diet habitually included eating nuts. It was observed that a greater frequency of nut consumption was associated with a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Other more recent prospective observational studies such as the Iowa Women's Health Study (1996) and the Harvard Nurse's Health Study (1998) obtained similar results. Finally, the Physician's Health Study (2002) recently carried out by Albert and collaborators showed similar results to those previously mentioned. As well as the observational studies, various dietetic intervention studies have been undertaken with different types of nuts in order to be able to demonstrate that the incorporation of nuts into the diet produces a reduction in the factors of cardiovascular risk such as cholesterol levels: all these have produced positive results. Thus for example, some of the most recent have been done by Zambón and collaborators (2000), who by means of a cross-study comparing a Mediterranean diet and a Mediterranean diet enriched with walnuts observed a reduction in the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol figures (of 9 and of 11.2% respectively) significantly higher in those individuals with a diet enriched with walnuts. Almario and collaborators (2001) also obtained a reduction in the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol figures in dyslipaemic individuals when these were subjected to a low-fat diet supplemented by nuts. Iwamoto and collaborators, in articles published in 2000 and 2002 also showed a reduction in total cholesterol levels in those individuals who followed the diet rich in walnuts. A summary of scientific articles through the different experimental observations with tree nuts developed during the passing of the years 1990-2004 can be found at http://www.nucis.org/articlesxany_eng.htm