Protect Your Heart And Artery With Walnuts
I always thought walnuts looked like little brains, but cut one in half it looks like a heart. This is very appropriate seeing that walnut consumption is protective of arteries and therefore is protective of the heart.
One way to protect arteries and the heart is to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Walnut consumption of 1 serving a week is very protective of arteries, but curiously it only accounted for a 5 percent drop in cholesterol.
Though walnut consumption only minimally lowered cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, its consumption was associated with a 50 percent drop in cardiac mortality.
This is because multiple variables are at work when it comes to heart disease. Excess cholesterol in the bloodstream damages arteries because it leads to cholesterol plaque buildup in arteries walls.
This damages the heart because the buildup of cholesterol plaque reduces the diameter of the opening of arteries which puts pressure on the heart to deliver blood, oxygen, and nutrients through out the body.
The consumption of walnuts and its ability to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream slows the buildup of cholesterol plaque in the arteries, which takes pressure of the heart.
But how can walnut consumption reduce cardiac mortality when it doesn’t drastically reduce cholesterol levels?
Besides removing cholesterol in the bloodstream, the compounds in walnuts help arteries to dilate, or to relax and open normally.
This helps to take pressure off the heart so it can more easily go about its job of delivering nutrients throughout the body.
Though walnut consumption works to counteract the negative effects excessive cholesterol consumption has on arteries and the heart, great effort should be put into reducing cholesterol consumption.
Remember plants do not contain cholesterol, so effort should be put into increasing the amount of plant foods you eat.
Animal products contain cholesterol, so to protect the heart and health you should reduce or avoid its consumption.
