Research Says Nuts May May be Healthier Than We Think
By Jacob Schor, N.D.
People are afraid of nuts. Honestly, over and over, people tell me that they are trying not to eat nuts. "Too fattening," or "Bad for my heart" are the justifications for this unwarranted abstinence.
Nuts taste good. And they are good for you. They do not raise the risk of heart disease. In fact they lower it. Several recent studies looked at this question. Dr. Wanda Morgan, a professor at New Mexico State University had a group of volunteers eat a daily dose of about 3/4 cup of shelled pecans a day for two months. Her test subjects were not told to change their diets in any other way, they could eat whatever they wanted. After the two months there was no change in weight, adding nuts to the diet wasn't fattening. What the pecans did change were cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels dropped significantly during the two month period!
There are several other studies that have shown positive associations with eating nuts and health. One showed that eating nuts more than four times a week protected people from heart attacks. Another also found that nut eaters (in this case five ounces or more a week) had fewer heart attacks.
Another study, this time in Japan, looked at the effect of adding about 50 grams of walnuts to a typical Japanese diet. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were both lowered eating the nuts. The ratio of good HDL cholesterol to bad LDL cholesterol also improved during this study
Speaking about nuts, I can't leave out peanuts. "Too much fat in peanut butter," people tell me, "I try not to eat peanut butter very often." Well it seems that peanuts tell the same story as other nuts. Adding peanuts to a healthy diet both lowers total cholesterol and increases the relative amount of HDL (the good) cholesterol, thus reducing heart disease risk. Snacking on peanuts and peanut butter is an effective way to control hunger without leading to weight gain. Following a snack of peanuts or peanut butter, participants in one study reported reduced hunger that lasted for two and one-half hours. When fed typical portions of other snacks, hunger returned within 30 minutes.
The bottom line here is that nuts are good food. The added fat doesn't equal added pounds and weight gain. The types of oil in nuts decrease risk of heart disease and other nutrients may decrease cancer incidence.
As healthy as nuts are, the following recipe may not necessarily be good for you, but this being the holiday season, perhaps this information will help you rationalize that they are. Enjoy
6 eggs beaten
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1TB vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup melted butter
Mix eggs, syrups, honey and vanilla. Add nuts, raisin and melted butter and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes or until it no longer ripples/sloshes when gently rattled.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Blend first 4 ingredients in food processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.) Roll out dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold crust edge under; crimp edge decoratively.
Jacob Schor, N.D, a Park Hill neighbor, majored in Food Science and Product Development as an undergraduate at Cornell University, and received his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at National College in Portland, Oregon in 1991. He served as President of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians from 1992-1999 and maintains a private practice at the Denver Naturopathic Clinic.