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A. It’s true. Several studies have found the
people who eat nuts often have a lower risk of
developing both heart disease and diabetes.
There are any number of theories and explanations as
to why nuts help keep you healthy.
One theory focuses on the effects nuts have on
inflammation the body. Inflammation is now recognized as
a major trigger for a variety of conditions and
diseases, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular
disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
In a recent study of more than 6,000 men and women,
researchers found that those who ate nuts at least five
times a week, had significantly lower levels of the
compounds C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and
fibrinogen, all of which are recognized sensitive
markers for inflammation.
When inflammation occurs, the body produces more of
these compounds in an effort to reduce it. They found
that the link between nuts and these inflammation
markers held up even after taking high blood pressure,
cholesterol levels and medication use into account.
While the researchers didn’t follow up to see if the
people actually developed less heart disease and
diabetes, experts believe that a drop in these
inflammation marker compounds translates into less
disease. |
