There are many factors that contribute to heart disease risk. Diet, physical activity level and genetics each play a unique role in preventing or promoting the number 1 killer of Americans. As a dietitian, I love when new research comes out about specific heart healthy foods that I can encourage my patients to eat as part of their daily diet. Nuts are indeed one of those foods.

Nuts, such as almonds and peanuts, are a rich source of the heart healthy monounsaturated fat. This type of fat works to naturally raise the good HDL cholesterol in the blood. High monounsaturated fat intake in combination with a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat is the key diet strategy to combat heart disease.

Click the link below to see some of the current research about nuts and disease prevention!

http://www.almondboard.com/9studies/

Gail Wikler, RD, CDN