Posts Tagged “cholesterol levels”
Walnuts have 21 percent fewer calories than what is currently assigned to it by the USDA, according to a recent study.
One serving (1 ounce) of walnuts contains 146 calories, which is 39 calories less than the 185 calories assigned to the product, the USDA reports. Since late 19th century, the calorie value for the walnuts has been derived from the Atwater system that calculates the metabolisable energy of many foods.
The recent research discovered that the metabolisable energy of walnuts was 21 percent less than that established by the Atwater general factor system.
For the study, the USDA studied 18 healthy adults. Each participant was assigned randomly to follow two diet regimens: a controlled diet without walnuts, and a controlled diet with 1.5 servings (42g) of walnuts, each followed for a 3-week period.
Assigned diets to each participant, walnuts, fecal and urine samples were collected and calories were measured and this measurement was used to calculate the metabolisable energy of the walnuts.
“Our results could help explain why consumers of walnuts do not typically gain weight. And given the numerous potential health benefits of consuming walnuts, including reduced risk for cancer, cardiovascular and cognitive diseases, our results could potentially help alleviate any calorie-related concerns consumers might have with incorporating them into their everyday diet,” the USDA reported.
In earlier research too, it has been established that walnut provides benefits to health. Recently a study by researchers from the Life Sciences Research Organisation in the US showed that consuming two handfuls of walnuts daily could help stave off cardiovascular disease.
The study claimed that intake of about 60 grams of this tree nut everyday lowers total cholesterol levels in the body, thus cuts a person’s risk of heart attack.
Touted as the world’s healthiest food, walnut is a rich source of numerous important nutrients such as omega-3s, fibres, vitamins, protein and minerals as well as the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Residents of California lead the nation in vegetable consumption, while neighboring Oregon is second.
Even though Oregon is second, most folks here aren’t eating enough, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 11 percent of Oregonians are eating the recommended two to three cups of vegetables a day, second only to California, where 13 percent eat enough veggies, CDC researchers report.
Nationwide, only 8.9 percent of Americans are eating two to three cups of vegetables every day as recommended.
Fruit consumption is slightly better. About 14.5 percent of Oregonians are eating the recommended 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day, compared with 13.1 percent of all Americans and 17.7 percent of people in California.
Fruits and vegetables are important in lowering a person’s risk of developing chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, said Jordana Turkel, a registered dietitian at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
For example, they contain a lot of fiber, which helps control spikes in blood glucose levels by slowing the digestive process, and the fact that they are generally low in fat helps lower cholesterol levels.
“We are seeing now what is going to happen if this trend continues,” Turkel said. “Obesity is on the rise. The rates of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are on the rise. I think we are seeing the effects of all of this now.”
By The California Strawberry Commission
WATSONVILLE, Calif. — According to new published research in the Journal of Nutrition, consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods such as strawberries may play an important role in lowering cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
To evaluate the effects of strawberries on cardiovascular risk factors, researchers at Oklahoma State University conducted a 12-week study with a group of 60 overweight adults. Participants were randomly selected to consume a high (equivalent to 500 g fresh strawberries) or low (equivalent to 250 g fresh strawberries) daily dose of a beverage made with freeze-dried strawberries, or a control beverage.
The study revealed the high dose strawberry supplements were effective in significantly reducing total and LDL cholesterol levels. Additionally, both the low and high dose supplements were equally effective in decreasing lipid peroxidation compared with the control groups.
“With more than two-thirds of U.S. adults being overweight or obese, and having metabolic abnormalities associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors, we are pleased to see the positive effects that strawberries can have on lowering serum cholesterol,” said lead researcher Arpita Basu, Ph.D., RD, associate professor of nutritional sciences, College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University.
As the first 12-week study to report the total and LDL cholesterol-lowering effects of a higher amount of strawberries in obese adults, the researchers suggest that a strawberry-supplemented diet may be of clinical significance as a nutritional strategy to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
About the California Strawberry Commission
The California Strawberry Commission, www.californiastrawberries.com, is a state government agency representing all of California’s strawberry farmers, shippers and processors. With an emphasis on food safety education, commission activities focus on production and nutrition research, trade relations, public policy, marketing and communications. California produces more than 85 percent of all strawberries grown in the United States.