The new low-cholesterol diet - nuts

Nuts are far more than just a handy bar snack or salty nibble. Eating nuts may well be good for your heart.

It's true they are high in calories so are best eaten in a small handful rather than a big bagful. However, they shouldn't be dismissed as a high-calorie snack food. Nuts are packed with nutrients and may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease.

Nutrient-dense powerhouse

Nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients.

"They are high in fibre, a source of protein and are also a source of micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin E and B vitamins," says Dr Stacey Lockyer, nutrition scientist and spokesperson for the British Nutrition Foundation.

Heart health benefits

There is a growing body of research which shows nuts have an important role in protecting heart health.

"Studies suggest that people who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart disease or a heart attack," says dietitian Azmina Govindji, who's a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.

"The effect is very likely to be because they are rich in phytonutrients - health promoting substances from plants. Nuts are also naturally low in salt, and it's important to reduce salt to help lower risks of strokes and hypertension," adds Azmina.

What does the research show?

A 2010 study in Archives of Internal Medicine found that eating nuts may help lower cholesterol levels. US researchers reviewed 25 studies involving nearly 600 people eating on average 67g of nuts, equivalent to a small bag. They found blood cholesterol levels were reduced by more than 7%.

It also reduced the amount of a type of blood fat called triglyceride, which has been linked to heart disease.

It's not totally clear why nuts have this affect. The fibre in nuts may help prevent the absorption of cholesterol, and the plant sterols they contain help to block cholesterol uptake from diet and bile salts.

Nuts may also have other heart health benefits. A 2016 study by Imperial College London and a Norwegian University found that people who eat a handful of nuts a day have a lower risk of heart disease.

Researchers analysed all current studies on nuts and the risk of disease and found that eating 20g, or a handful, of nuts daily can cut people's risk of coronary heart disease by almost 30%.

HEART UK - the cholesterol charity understands the benefits nuts can bring.

"Nuts are packed full of heart-healthy nutrients such as protein, soluble fibres, plant sterols, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper. Because they are also naturally rich in unsaturated fats and contain fewer saturated fats they can help lower cholesterol as part of a diet low in saturated fats" says Linda Main, dietetic adviser at HEART UK.

So which nuts are the best to eat?