ive been hearing in the media ALOT recently about the health benifits of nuts particularly walnuts...every cardiologist it seems is raving on about how healthy they are... this is very confusing because one serving( a small handfull) contains 20mgs. of fat (but only 1.5 staurated fat)..i know thats there is "good" fat and "bad" fat...still that seems alot for those of us who are watching our fat intake and trying to lower our numbers.. i used to eat alot of cashews and that was around the time i got high cholestrol numbers so i stopped eating them....and my numbers did go down..but i made other dietery changes so i dont know if that had anything to do with it..any one have any input? im all for doing anything thats heart healthy and good for the body but i certainly dont want to raise my numbers.........btw i love the way they taste

I know they are very healthy because of the excellent supply of Omega 3's and a good balance with Omega-6's.
BUT like you, I'm wary. Before Xmas, I found a sale on Diamond Walnuts...ready to eat. ($1.49/pound)...I bought 6 pounds.

The subsequent calorie overdose WASN'T PRETTY. Once I start on nuts, I just CANNOT stop....so no more for me, alas. (You should see me with PECANS...it's a triple-X rated sight!)

Nuts are good in moderation. The moderation part is the tuff thing for me LOL. I was able to raise my hdl a good ten points by eating a handful of almonds a day. I tried this after not being able to tolerate niaspan. That was wicked for me. JC

....zip,are you wary because you think nuts CAN raise numbers even in small amounts because of their high fat content?...ive been eating a small handful every day but im a bit worried since im retesting my numbers in a few weeks and i dont want anything to raise my total or LDL.... great news electicman on raising your hdl...did your total or LDL go up too? thats what im most concerned about..

patric,

No, you mis-read me. I think nuts are WONDERFUL for cholesterol numbers if eaten in "sensible" amounts. The only numbers that I worry about going up are the numbers on my bathroom scale from my very UNSENSIBLE amounts.

There's little doubt that walnuts will raise the HDL more than the LDL...unfortunately the effect MIGHT be to raise the total...not necessarily bad, but it will always get raised eyebrows from your GP.

My summary...an ounce a day is a GREAT snack :D (a half-pound less great!:()

Hi Patric
My total went up a couple of points but my doc was thrilled with the results.He thought my hdl went up from the niaspan. I hadn't told him I had stopped taking after only a week. Wanted to try the nut thing as an experiment. Maybe that goes to show that drugs are not always the only solution to a problem. Although they do help. I am currently taking 10mg of lipitor and my total runs between 152 to 160. ldl usually right around 100. JC

thanks guys for the reply's...i know what you mean about not being able to stop..i love walnuts ( and pecans and cashews) but i have been limiting myself to about an ounce or less of walnuts everyday..i just put the bag away so i dont have it staring at me beggin for me to eat more ( btw i stopped eating pepperidge farm double chocolate milano cookies about 2 years agos...now THAT takes willpower LOL).................................... ........................................ ........................................ ........when my total dropped from 239 to 209 my hdh dropped too from 52 to 40...ive been on twin labs fish oil caps 3 a day for 2 months now so i figured id add walnuts too to see how high i can raise it...if the total goes up a couple of points it wont matter..if the ldl goes up the doctor is gonna give me hell... it dropped from 179 to 150 and he wanted me to start statins but said we could wait and retest.....................trigs were nice at 78 again thanks guys

I've been eating a handful of almonds every day. Are they as effective as walnuts, since walnuts irritate my mouth?

Yes, almonds are also very good. Also, for those who cannot tolerate walnuts, walnut oil is readily available.