New research shows that eating just a handful of nuts per day provides immediate protection against heart disease. Regular intake would provide permanent protection. Researchers also found a significant improvement in cholesterol levels and flexibility of blood vessels, which helps good blood flow, just 4 hours after people ate nuts or nut oil.
Regular consumption of walnuts protect you from many types of cardiovascular disease specifically due to their effect on serum cardiovascular risk factors.
“And only by consuming a handful of walnuts or walnut oil for four days in a week you can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Penny Kris Eterton, professor of nutrition at Penn State University in Pennsylvania.
This study is the first to identify active constituents in walnuts that provide the greatest health benefits. Only by eating three tablespoons (51 g) of walnut oil can you improve the condition of your blood vessels in 4 hours.
Walnut oil proved to be especially good for the integrity of endothelial cells–the cells that line the blood vessels and play an important role in their flexibility.