Heart-Healthy Snacks: Get Yourself Some Almonds & Peanuts!

Most nuts have heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that won't put a glitch in your cholesterol readings. Almonds, in particular, are Mother Nature's heart-protecting nut. In every ounce, you get 10% of fiber and zinc needs, 25% of magnesium, and a good dose of vitamin E. Research shows that with the help of these nutrients, eating almonds as part of your daily fare can lower blood cholesterol levels.

In a recent study, researchers from Canada and the U.S. selected men and women with risky blood cholesterol levels as subjects for an almond eating study. For the first few weeks, the participants ate a heart-smart low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet that limited fatty meats, dairy products, and eggs.

For the next nine weeks all the participants ate 3 1/2 ounces of almonds daily and used only almond oil in cooking. This addition of almonds boosted the participants total intake of fat from 28% to a whopping 37% of total calories from fat, a level that's sure to send cholesterol levels skyrocketing. But most of the fat increase was from almonds' heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that have a quieting effect on blood fat levels.

After the nine weeks of daily almond eating, researchers discovered that participants' average cholesterol levels dropped significantly, putting everyone's cholesterol levels out of the high risk range. And more good news: LDL levels (that's the bad stuff), plummeted without a change in the cholesterol good guy, HDL. Researchers suspect that the positive effect of almonds may result from other key nutrients found in this heart-healthy snack, including vitamin E and fiber, in addition to the monounsaturated fats. Vitamin E, for example, helps protect LDLs from oxidizing, which stops these nasties from damaging artery walls.

Make almonds a regular part of your daily menu. Include a handful of almonds on top your morning whole-grain cereal or yogurt, or even blend them up in your favorite smoothie recipe. You can also use almonds to turn any ordinary green salad into a gourmet salad, or add to a fresh fruit medley for a refreshing crunchy flavor experience. My favorite is taking almonds with me anywhere as part of an energizing trail mix. This quick recipe can be easily doubled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a grab-anytime snack. When selecting almonds, buying bulk is less expensive (many supermarkets now sell almonds and other nuts in bulk) but make sure your food store has enough turnover to ensure that the nuts are fresh.

Peanuts: Peanuts are really not nuts at all but legumes like navy or kidney beans. Legumes protect your heart in much the same way as red wine may. The artery-guardian phytochemical called resveratrol found in red wine is also in peanuts. But peanuts' goodness goes beyond resveratrol. Peanuts are high in fat, 14 grams per one-ounce serving, which is about a handful. But much of this fat is cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat.

According to many research studies, diets rich in monounsaturated fats lower heart-disease risk. In fact, studies show that when peanut oil replaces saturated fats such as butter in the diet, cholesterol levels fall. Peanuts also supply about 20% of your vitamin E needs per serving, the vitamin responsible for protecting your arteries from damaging LDLs, along with a dose of folate, a B vitamin that helps protect your heart.

The news for regular peanut munching is good. In a study from Loma Linda University in California, more than 30,000 women were interviewed extensively about their dietary habits. Women who ate peanuts and other nuts four times a week or more had half the risk for fatal and nonfatal heart attacks compared to women eating peanuts less than once a week. Other research studies, such as one in Iowa with 40,000 women, also support frequent peanut-eating as a heart saving measure.

Peanuts are best eaten raw, that is, unroasted with no added salt, with their red skins, a good source of resveratrol. Because raw peanuts haven't been heat-treated, they are a better source of vitamin E than roasted varieties. If you haven't sampled raw peanuts, you're in for a treat. In their untreated state, peanuts have more of a pea-like flavor. When selecting roasted peanuts, reach for dry roasted rather than those roasted in oils (of ten times hydrogenated vegetable oils). And skip the salted ones if you're watching your blood pressure.

Look for brands that use fresh, whole ground peanuts without added sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils, or other additives. Most peanut butters come with added salt, so again, check levels if reducing sodium in the diet helps control your blood pressure. Many health food stores offer "make-your-own" peanut butter. Simply pour the desired amount of roasted peanuts into a grinder and press start. Freshly made peanut butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread is my idea of a hearty but heavenly snack!