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Introduction

Nuts and seeds are the vehicle for plant reproduction. Locked inside them is the potential for an entire plant. It is truly amazing to think that a giant oak tree began its life as an acorn. A nut commonly refers to the shell-encased seeds of a tree, however, one of the chief foods that we consider as a nut, the peanut, does not fit the strict definition of a nut as it is actually a legume.

In the United States, peanuts are by far the leading nut crop as they account for greater than 70% of the yearly nut production. Peanuts are followed by almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Unfortunately, most nuts are being consumed after they have been fried in fat and salted or as ingredients in cookies, candies, and confections. I definitely advocate the use of mostly raw or lightly roasted fresh nuts and seeds rather than commercially roasted and salted nuts and seeds.

Health Benefits

As more Americans are seeking healthier food choices, nut and seed consumption is on the rise. Nuts and seeds provide excellent human nutrition, they are especially good sources of essential fatty acids, vitamin E, protein, and minerals. They also provide valuable fiber components, important phytonutrients in nuts and seeds include protease inhibitors, ellagic acid, and other polyphenols.

Because of the high oil content of nuts and seeds, one would suspect that the frequent consumption of nuts would increase the rate of obesity. But, in a large population study of 26,473 Americans it was found that the people who consumed the most nuts were less obese. A possible explanation is that the nuts produced satiety, a feeling of appetite satisfaction. This same study also demonstrated that higher nut consumption was associated with a protective effect against heart attacks (both fatal and nonfatal). Four other large studies, including the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, and the Physicians Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Researchers who studied data from the Nurses Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction--45%--when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).(1)

Nuts Provide Arginine

Nuts are the best dietary source for arginine - an amino acid that plays an important role in wound healing, detoxification reactions, immune functions, and promoting the secretion of several hormones including insulin and growth hormone. Recently there has been a considerable amount of scientific investigation regarding arginine's role in the formation of nitric oxide. This compound plays a central role in determining the tone of blood vessels. Specifically, it exerts a relaxing effect on blood vessels thereby improving blood flow. Normally, the body makes enough arginine, even when the diet is lacking. However, in some instances the body may not be able to keep up with increased requirements and higher dietary intakes may prove useful.

Arginine supplementation has been shown to boost immune function and be beneficial in a number of cardiovascular diseases including angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and peripheral vascular insufficiency (decreased blood flow to the legs or arms). By increasing nitric oxide levels, arginine supplementation improves blood flow, reduces blood clot formation, and improves blood fluidity (the blood becomes less viscous and, therefore, flows through blood vessels more easily). The degree of improvement offered by arginine supplementation in angina and other cardiovascular diseases can be quite significant as a result of improved nitric oxide levels. These benefits may also be attainable by eating foods high in arginine like nuts.(2)

Nut Consumption and Diabetes Risk

Nut consumption has also been shown to lower the risk for diabetes. This benefit may relate to their ability to improve cell membrane structure and function. According to modern pathology, or the study of disease processes, an alteration in cell membrane function is the central factor in the development of virtually every disease. As it relates to diabetes, abnormal cell membrane structure due to eating the wrong types of fats lead to impaired action of insulin.

The type of dietary fat profile linked to type 2 diabetes is an abundance of saturated fat and trans fatty acids (margarine) along with a relative insufficiency of monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. One of the key reasons appears to be the fact that since dietary fat determines cell membrane composition such a dietary pattern leads to reduced membrane fluidity which in turn causes reduced insulin binding to receptors on cellular membranes and/or reduced insulin action. Particularly harmful to cell membrane function are margarine and other foods containing trans fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils.

In contrast, to the dampening of insulin sensitivity caused by margarine and saturated fats, clinical studies have shown that monounsaturated fats and omega-3 oils improve insulin action.(3) Adding further support is that fact that population studies have also indicated that frequent consumption of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts, and nut oils and omega-3 fatty acids from fish protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. For example, one recent study showed that that consumption of nuts was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of known risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including age, obesity, family history of diabetes, physical activity, smoking, and other dietary factors. What the term inversely associated means is that the higher the intake of nuts, the less likely a woman would develop type 2 diabetes. What was really amazing was that this relationship was seen even in woman who were obese.(4)

In addition to nut consumption, in order to improve cell membrane structure and function, I recommend using RxOmega-3 Factors - a pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement from Natural Factors. The benefits of the omega-3 oils from fish oils well known. Adding a fish oil supplement to your daily routine provides extra insurance that you are getting sufficient levels of these important oils. Using a high quality fish oil supplement is the perfect solution to people wanting the health benefits of fish oils without the mercury and other contaminants often found in fish. Each capsule of RxOmega-3 Factors provides 600 mg of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (400 mg EPA/200 mg DHA). We recommend one capsule daily for general health, if greater support is needed the dosage increases to two to three capsules daily.

Cooking with Nut Oils

The best oils to cook with in baking recipes, stir fries, and sautés, are the monounsaturated oils. While olive oil and canola oil are by far the most popular monounsaturated fats in use, nut oils may prove superior to both. In particular, macadamia nut oil is superior to cook with because of lower level of polyunsaturated oil (3% for macadamia nut oil vs. 8% for olive and 23% for canola). As a result, while olive oil and canola oil can form lipid peroxides at relatively low cooking temperatures, macadamia nut oil is stable at much higher temperatures (over twice that of olive oil and four times more stable than canola). Macadamia oil, like olive oil is also very high in natural anti-oxidants. In fact it contains over 4.5 times the amount of vitamin E as olive oil. For more information on macadamia nut oil, visit www.macnutoil.com.

Selecting and Storing Nuts and Seeds

In general, nuts and seeds, due to their high oil content, are best purchased and stored in their shells. The shell is a natural protector against free radical damage caused by light and air. Make sure the shells are free from splits, cracks, stains, holes, or other surface imperfections. Do not eat or use moldy nuts or seeds as this may not be safe. Also avoid limp, rubbery, dark, or shriveled nut meats. Store nuts and seeds with shells in a cool, dry environment. If whole nuts and seeds with their shells are not available, make sure they are stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Crushed, slivered, and nut pieces are most often rancid. Prepare your own from the whole nut if a recipe calls for these.

In addition to simply eating nuts and seeds as snacks, they can be added to many foods for the unique flavor. With the aid of a food processor, nut and seed butters can be prepared. Most nuts and seeds have enough natural oils, but occasionally you may need to add some additional oil. Keep nut butters in air-tight containers in the refrigerator.

Practical Application

Try to have at least one serving of nuts or seeds (one serving equals 1/4 cup) and 3 tablespoons of the healthy oils daily. Use olive, macadamia, or canola oil to replace the butter, margarine, and shortening that you use for cooking. Use flaxseed or olive oil in homemade salad dressings. Avoid using safflower, sunflower, soy and corn oil because they contain too much omega 6 fatty acid.

My last recommendation is to try to mix it up a bit, by eating a variety of nuts and seeds such as almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.


Key References:

1. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ. Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a review of epidemiologic evidence. Curr Atheroscler Rep 1999;1(3):204-9, 1999
2. Flynn NE, Meininger CJ, Haynes TE, Wu G. The metabolic basis of arginine nutrition and pharmacotherapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2002;56(9):427-38.
3. Rivellese AA, De Natale C, Lilli S. Type of dietary fat and insulin resistance. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002;967:329-35.
4. Jiang R, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA 2002;288(20):2554-60.

Although I like the majority of this article, I have a small quibble in Murray's recommendation to eliminate butter. If one can obtain butter from organically raised, grass-fed cows, butter is an excellent source of vitamins A and D, butyric acid (antimicrobial and feeds flora in the gut), some medium-chain fatty acids (used by the liver for immediate energy production), and even a bit of highly unsaturated fats, which the body uses to make prostaglandins, localized tissue hormones that direct many processes in the cells. In addition, the healthy saturated fats in good butter help maintain the integrity of cell membranes.

Could someone breifly explain or point me to an explanation of why the article writer warns us off the vegetable oils that contain too much omega 6 fatty acid? Is it simply because it's a good idea to replace our omega 6 oils with omega 3 oils since we get so much omega 6 and so little omega 3 in our (average) diet, or is it because the amount of omega 6 in the average diet is actually harmful? Thank you.

Gez

Dr. Atkins' book "Age-Defying Diet Revolution and Drs. Eades book "Protein Power Lifeplan" both have chapters on the unhealthy effect of excessive Omega-6 fatty acids. One gets plenty from meat in the diet and should avoid any other supplementation.

Absolutely avoid Omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable, seed, nut and grain oils made from corn, soybean, canola, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, almond, apricot, grapeseed, hazelnut, peanut, poppyseed, rice bran, sesame, teaseed, tomato seed, walnut, and wheat germ. These are high volume and high profit oils. The companies involved in their processing and sales strongly support the myths, distortions and lies about their unrealistic and incorrect health claims. Although Omega-6 fatty acids are an essential in the diet, the amount obtained from meat, fish and fowl far exceeds the requirement. The dietary goal must be to obtain adequate Omega-3 fatty acids. Carlson's lemon flavored cod liver oil is the best source for Omega-3 fatty acids because it contains no Omega-6 fatty acid as found in flax seed oil, and it is a great source for Vitamin D. Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. The Omega-6 oils cancel the benefits of the good Omega-3 fat. Flax is not the best Omega-3 fat because your body must convert the shorter fat ALA in flax to EPA and DHA before you will receive major benefits, and most of us don't do that very well. Flax seed oil also contains a high level of Omega-6 fatty acids which should be limited. Do not take flax seed oil or eat flax seeds.

A person with a bowel disease or heart disease should be extra cautious to limit extra omega-6 fatty acids in the diet.

Kent

A belated thanks for the explanation. I did some more research to understand better how the different oils relate to eachother. Diagrams helped; I did a google image search and found some really useful stuff.

Anway, thank you.
Gez

Thanks for this article. I add that people who are on Atkins diet and over 40 years old need to make nuts their major source of fat.

Although Atkins diet improve your health substantially, it does not improve the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood. Furthermore, if you eat large amounts of fatty red meats and eggs which are allowed in this diet, you may raise your cholesterol to an unsafe level.

Since nuts and seeds are normally cholesterol free, they can safely supply the fat you need for your diet.

Samuel,

I couldn't DISAGREE with you more. Essentially everything you said is contrary to Dr. Atkins' book, The Age-Defying Diet Revolution and Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades book, Protein Power Lifeplan.

Most nuts and seeds contain high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids which are proven to be highly inflammatory and are suspect in contributing to heart disease, arthritis and intestinal diseases. Two exceptions are pinion pine nuts and macadamas nuts which I enjoy in quanity. Both books contain chapters exposing the unhealthy effects of Omega-6 fatty acids.

Cholesterol in eggs has been shown to have no effect on blood cholesterol levels. The cholesterol molecules are to big to pass through the gut-blood barrier and are broken down in digestion. The egg myth was exposed many years ago. I always eat two or three eggs for breakfast and have eaten as many as six per day.

Fatty red meat improves one's cholesterol risk ratios greatly by raising the level of good HDL cholesterol and lowering the bad triglycerides. I am well over 40 years old ( 64 actually ) and recently had my blood work done as a walk-in at Quest Diagnostics without seeing a doctor. It was great. The low-carb diet has dropped my triglycerides from 217 to 92 and my HDL cholestero has soared from 35 to 55. The risk ratio of TR/HDL dropped from 6.2 to 1.7. I eat fatty red meat at least once meal per day and mostly two or three meals per day. I eat no-sugar-added bacon lightly cook so it is still floppy with white fat showing. Crisp bacon is unhealthy because the fats have been oxdized by cooking to long. I buy the fattiest cuts of meat like ribeye steaks, cook it rare and eat all the fat.

Besides, total cholesterol has never been proven to cause heart disease even though the US government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 40 years trying to prove it. The Framingham Study proved over a 40 year period that the people who ate the most saturated fat were the most active, weighted the least and had the lowest incidence of heart disease. Only an abnormal hypercholesterolema condition has been shown to have any connection to heart disease. That is total cholesterol about 400 that is caused by a genic disorder.

Supporting links to these claims are on my web pages below.

Kent

Dr. Atkins said many good things about nuts and seeds. Actually Atkins Company sells several types of nuts with different spices and flavors. Macadamia, almond, pecan and pumpkin seeds are some of them.

I know there are conflicting opinions about everything. Some say that the cholesterol in the food we eat is the source of cholesterol in our bodies, some say that our body manufactures cholesterol from row materials...etc.

We don't know where the truth is. However we only have one life to live. We should take precations even if we are not sure where the truth is.

My extra worry about cholesterol is actually new. Just few days ago, I heared some bad news about a friend who has been on Atkins diet which has triggered my worry.

Samuel,

Your posts sound like you have an agenda that is contrary to sound low-carbohydrate nutrition as proposed by Drs. Atkins and Eades. Perhaps you should unmask and let us know what is really drives your nutritional suggestions.

Sure a few nuts are fine for someone on the Atkins maintenance phase, but nuts are certainly not acceptable for those in the weight loss phase. I have seen numerous posts here and my own experience that a few pecans, almonds or cashews have enough carbohydrates to bring a good weight loss run to an immediate stall.

Eating the amount of nuts you suggest to replace red meat and eggs will eventually make one obese and sick.

Your irrational fear of cholesterol must be based on your believing the myths, distortions and lies by those with an agenda other than nutrition and health.

Feeding the Irrational Fear of Cholesterol.

Proof Saturated Fats Are Healthy - News You Can Use.

Myths, Distortions and Lies About Beef.

Animal Rights Terrorists Strike Again?

Kent

Well, Mr. Kent, I assure you I don't have any motive against Atkins diet. You like to get your necessary fat from "Fatty red meats" as you said and I like to get it from a zero cholesterol source. This should not mean much to me or you.

By the way, I checked into Atkins catalog and found that all their nuts and seeds are recommended for all phases of the diet including induction with the exception of only "Cinnamon Parline Almonds" which is recommended for all phases except induction.

I have to tell you my experience couldn't be farther from that statement. My total cholesterol and LDL did increase at first, but then dropped sharply as did my triglycerides. LDL went from 160 to 108, Tris from 250 to 125 and HDL at 45. What do I eat? Eggs, beef, pork, chicken with the skin, sausage (nitrate and sugar free), bacon and lots of veggies. Even if your LDL remains the same, if your HDL goes up and your triglycerides go down (as is commonly reported with low carbing), your cardiac profile is much improved and your risk is substantially lowered according to what is currently thought. I agree with Kent in that studies have shown repeatedly that dietary cholesterol has very little impact on total serum cholesterol.
We all have to do what we feel is best for us and with the conflicting information that is out there that becomes a formidable task and many people wind up depriving themselves unnecessarily because they are frightened by bad or conflicting information into doing so.
Since we can all react differently to the same dietary regimen, restricting yourself because of how someone else is reacting is not necessarily correct. Let your own blood tests speak for themselves.

Thanks Lisa for your advice.

I'm not actually depriving myself as you see. I like eating nuts and dislike eating meat fat naturally.

My latest numbers are: HDL=48, LDL=112, which are still normal according to my Doctor. What worries me is something I heared of lately and don't like to discuss in details here.

If you, me and Kent have been on Atkins diet for a while and our cholesterol levels have either improved or stayed the same, we should assume that there is nothing to be worried of. Thanks again.

Sam

Well, where do you want to discuss it, since you mentioned it here? We've heard it all, from damaging kidneys to spontaneous combustions, as a result of following Atkins, and eating meat and low-carb. Fortunately, they're all stories, not medical research.

Fear tactics are quite useless, in face of all the research that has been done. Eating choleterol is essential to your health, and the fear of it, is similar to the fear of eating fat, wheather nuts, dairy or meat fat.

So if someones's mother in law said that her niece's cousine died because they ate meat while doing Atkins, or something like that, why don't they sue the Atkins Foundation? Or at least report that case to Dr. Ornish, he'd be glad to publish something about it.

Wa'il

Samuel,

You continue to misrepresent Dr. Atkins' diet recommendations and website. The nuts are an additional flavoring to the low-carbohydrate desserts and snacks offered in Atkins' products and constitute a very small part of one's total diet. That is far different from your suggestion to "make nuts their major source of fat" and to refrain from eating red meat and eggs because "if you eat large amounts of fatty red meats and eggs which are allowed in this diet, you may raise your cholesterol to an unsafe level."

Dr. Atkins has proven over his 40 years of experience treating people with obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other ailments that eating fatty red meat and eggs does not "raise your cholesterol to an unsafe level." Just the opposite is true. Dr. Atkins has stressed the importance of eating fatty red meat and eggs. He has suggest in his books to buy the fattiest cuts and eat all the fat. In fact, he suggested one ask the butcher for special cuts that have not had the fat trimmed as commonly done in stores today.

So, you don't like red meat. I suggest you eat it anyway for you own health. Many people don't like red meat but love whole grain products, fruit and honey. They are the ones who are, or will be, heading for obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and an entire medical book full of other diseases.

Red meat is yummy. The beef slaughtering plant a few miles from my home processes 4,000 head of cattle each day for which I am very thankful. Red meat has restored my health and cured many ailments where doctors had given up. Cholesterol in red meat and eggs heals and nourishes the body.

Arctic explore Vilhjalmur Stefansson and his partner proved in a supervised study in 1928 that eating an all meat diet for one year resulted in an improvement in ones health including improving the cholesterol measurement that were available at the time.

Eskimos Prove An All Meat Diet Provides Excellent Health.

Kent

Well. Calm down! I didn't mean that I'm not eating meat. I was talking about meat fat only.

As I mentioned in several of my posts, proteins are not all the same and meat is the best source of protein which our bodies need. I eat plenty of grilled steak, broiled chicken, salmon, ..etc.

In order to get enough fat for my diet, I was forcing myself to eat the meat fat. Now I'm not doing this anymore. I eat lean meat and get the rest of the fat I need from nuts.

When you say "total cholesterol has never been proven to cause heart disease even though the US government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 40 years trying to prove it.", this is where I disagree with you. Government conspiracy is nothing that I can take seriously.

There are people who blame the government for many things. Some say that they are secretly in contact with other species from the outer space and some say that man has never been on the moon, it was all done inside a studio somewhere in the Navada desert! To me all this is only good for entertainment.

The government has no reason to prove to anybody that cholesterol is harmful if it was not. Additionally, despite all my respect of Dr. Atkins and gratitude for his diet, you must know that he has had the same education all his fellow doctors in the US and the rest of the world have.

Since I started this diet I have been working hard to find a way to make Dr. Atkins' theory and the FDA's coexist together and I found a way.

Dr. Atkins has studied a condition which has been rarely studied before. Before Atkins, only diabetic patients needed to reduce their carbohydrate intake. Most diabetic patients reduce their carb. intake to 100 grams plus or minus.

Whenever we reduce our carb. intake to under 40 grams, we set our metabolism into a rare state which has not been thoroughly studied before.

The metabolization of fat requires some carbohydrate. Without carbohydrate the metabolization process ends midway producing ketones. Dr. Atkins has used this principal to create his diet which we all agree is the best.

Additionally, we have all noticed that under this state, fats do not harm us. Some assume that fats have never been harmful to start with. It has been all a government conspiracy. I believe that fat is just as harmful as the gevernment sees, except that the harm does not apply to us.

Lately, I have been questioning only one item "Are we sure that cholesterol cannot affect us too or we need to be cautious?", this is how this conversation started.

sam