The Study: Walnuts vs. Other Fats
Walnuts are not just tasty; they’re also good for your health. Researchers at Penn State University wanted to know just how good walnuts are, especially for people who are more likely to get heart problems.
They did a study with 45 people who have a high chance of getting heart disease to figure this out.
First, everyone ate regular food like most people do for two weeks. Then, for the next six weeks, they tried three different kinds of diets. In all these diets, the bad fats in regular food were swapped with good fats.
One diet included walnuts, another had the same amount of good fats as the walnut diet but no walnuts, and a third one used a special fat you can find in olive oil instead of the good fat in walnuts.
What They Found Out
Guess what? The people who ate walnuts had lower blood pressure! To be specific, their “resting” blood pressure—the pressure in your arteries when your heart takes a break between beats—got better.
Also, some other types of pressure in bigger arteries improved. Even cholesterol, which is a kind of fat in your blood, got lower in all the diets. But the walnut diet showed the best results.
So, what does this mean? Well, it seems like walnuts are a super-good food when you want to replace bad fats in your diet. Eating walnuts can actually make your heart healthier!
More Research Needed, But It’s Looking Good
Now, remember, only 45 people were part of this study. That’s not a lot. So, scientists want to try this out on even more people to make sure they get the same awesome results.
In the meantime, other studies also say that certain eating habits can help your blood pressure. For example, eating only during certain times of the day or adding more plants to your meals could also be good for your heart.
Wrap-Up: Why Walnuts Rock
The study gives us even more reasons to love walnuts. They not only taste good but can also help make our hearts stronger.
By eating walnuts, you might lower your blood pressure and even make your blood healthier! So maybe the next time you’re looking for a snack, grab some walnuts.
Remember, if you’re thinking about changing your eating habits or have concerns about your heart, it’s always a good idea to talk to a grown-up or a doctor. But for now, walnuts seem like a pretty good choice for a heart-healthy snack.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and scientists find how COVID-19 damages the heart.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about Aspirin linked to a higher risk of heart failure, and results showing this drug could reduce heart disease, fatty liver, and obesity.
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