By Marcia Zimmerman, CN, co-author of “7-Syndrome Healing”

 

Read Part I of this article.

 

 

Although high in fat, nuts contain oils that reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Nuts also contain potentially cardio protective components including phytosterols, tocopherols and squalene. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts were all found to be good sources of these compounds. ¹ Diets that included one or two servings of macadamia nuts a day have been shown in studies done in Brisbane Australia and Honolulu Hawaii to improve blood lipid profiles as effectively as low-fat, complex carbohydrate diets. ^2,3,4 Furthermore, scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating nuts and peanut butter reduced the risk of type II diabetes in women. The researchers suggest that nuts might replace refined grain products, and red or processed meats in order to not increase caloric intake. ⁵ 

 

 

Americans eat more peanuts and peanut butter than all other nuts combined. ⁶  A Pennsylvania State University study of 13,000 men, women and children revealed that peanut eaters had higher intakes of several hard-to-get nutrients compared to those who did not consume peanuts. Peanut butter and peanut eaters had increased levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and phytonutrients resveratrol, beta- sitosterol and p-courmaric acid. What’s more, peanut eaters also had leaner bodies than non-peanut eaters. ⁷  This study helps to dispel the myth that higher-fat foods automatically lead to weight gain.

 

The Peanut Butter Diet evolved from studies such as this that showed the benefits of eating peanuts and peanut butter, particularly their high satiety factor. In one small study, ten health workers aged fifty-plus, consumed 1500-calorie healthy and moderate fat (35%) diet that included two tablespoons of peanut butter eaten twice a day. The women had at least one cardiovascular risk factor – high blood pressure, altered blood lipids or diabetes.  Peanut butter was chosen because previous studies at Harvard/Brigham Women’s Hospital had shown that over an eighteen-month period, three times as many women stuck with a diet that included peanut butter or peanuts, (McManus) because of a hunger curbing effect. ^8,9

 

Peanuts contain about 2 grams of fiber per tablespoon and when spread on two slices of whole-wheat bread, deliver six grams of fiber. Peanut butter makes some yummy sauces. The barbequed ribs a group of scientists and I prepared during a recent weekend at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in California’s Napa Valley were the best I have ever eaten.

 

 

This term refers to coconut, palm kernel and palm oils. These oils contain a variety of fatty acids, but unlike olive, macadamia and peanut oils, which contain high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and are liquid at room temperature, tropical oils have high levels of saturated fats and are solid at room temperature. They are gaining popularity as food manufacturers push to replace hydrogenated oils that contain trans fats. The latest hoopla over coconut oil has been its inclusion in weight loss regimens. Two books featuring coconut products have hit bestseller lists.¹⁰ Moderate increase of tropical oils including coconut and palm appear to improve blood lipid profile, largely because of their high lauric acid content. ¹¹

 

The health benefits of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as caprylic and lauric have been known for some time. Lauric acid has been found to improve blood lipids and red palm oil is rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene and tocotrienols, the vitamin E active constituent. ^11,12,13,14 However, there is concern among some experts that eating too many saturated fats, including the tropical oils used to make trans fat free margarine and shortening, can have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health.

 

In addition, there are differences in processing palm and palm kernel oils that make some choices unhealthy. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, palm oil is a better choice than palm kernel oil because chemical solvents are needed to extract palm kernel oil while none are required to press the oil from palm fruit. Fractionation is used to processes palm and palm kernel oil and eliminates many of their natural antioxidants, which makes them the least desirable of the tropical oils. ¹⁵  It seems prudent to check ingredient labels for fractionated palm kernel oil and avoid it. Best of all, look for NOW organic coconut oil,. which has an impressive resume for boosting immunity. It also a distinctive flavor to foods prepared with an East Indian theme.

 

REFERENCES:

 

¹  LS Maguire; et al; Fatty Acid Profile, Tocopherol, Squalene And Phytosterol Content Of Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Hazelnuts And The Macadamia Nut Intnl J Food Sci Nutr 2004;55:171-178(8)

 

²  D Colquhoun; et al; Comparison Of A High Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid Diet (Enriched With Macadamia Nuts) And A High Carbohydrate Diet On Blood Lipids Wesley Hospital, Brisbane Australia, May 1992

 

³  JD Curb; et al; Serum Lipid Effects Of A High-Monounsaturated Fat Diet Based On Macadamia Nuts Arch Intern Med 2000;160:115408

 

⁴  ML Garg; et al; Macadamia Nut Consumption Lowers Plasma Total And LDL Cholesterol Levels In Hypercholesterolemic Men J Nutr 2003;133:1060-3

 

⁵  R Jiang; et al; Nut and Peanut Butter Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women JAMA 2002;288:2554-60

 

⁶  C Alper and R Mattes; Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults J Amer Col Nutr; 2003;22:133-141

 

⁷  Amy Griel; et al; Improved Diet Quality with Peanut Consumption J Amer Col Nutr; 2004;23:660-668

 

⁸  C Alper and R Mattes; Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults J Amer Col Nutr; 2003;22:133-141

 

⁹  SV Kirkmeyer and Richard Mattes; Effects Of Food Attributes On Hunger And Food Intake Intnl J Obesity 2000:24:1167-1175

 

¹⁰  Fife B, Kabara J; The Coconut Miracle, Avery, 2004

 

¹¹  Nicole de Roos; et al; Consumption of a Solid Fat Rich in Lauric Acid Results in a More Favorable Serum Lipid Profile in Healthy Men and Women than Consumption of a Solid Fat Rich in trans-Fatty Acids J Nutr 2001;131:242-245

 

¹²  DO Edem Palm Oil: Biochemical, Physiological, Nutritional, Hematological, and Toxicological Aspects: A Review Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2002;57:319-41

 

¹³  CE Elson; Tropical Oils: Nutritional and Scientific Issues Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1992;31:79-102

 

¹⁴  S Park; et al; Relative Effects of High Saturated Fatty Acid Levels in Meat, Dairy Products, and Tropical Oils on Serum Lipoproteins and Low-Density Lipoprotein Degradation by Mononuclear Cells in Healthy Males Metabolism 1996;45:550-8

 

¹⁵  Online information, from www.drweil.com