Peanut Butter 'Wards Off Heart Disease'

UK Daily Mail ^ | 4:50 PM on 25th June 2009

[lewisglad]

Peanut butter sandwiches, favoured by cartoon character Charlie Brown, could be the secret to beating heart disease, according to new research.

A study in the US reveals snacking on peanuts or peanut butter at least five days a week can nearly halve the risk of a heart attack.

A team of experts at Harvard Medical School in Boston came up with the findings after studying the eating habits of thousands of women with type two diabetes.

The condition dramatically increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Poor diet and lifestyle has led to a surge in the numbers affected by type two diabetes in the UK, up from 1.5 million five years ago to 2.25 million.

The latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, support earlier studies on the cardiovascular benefits of peanuts and peanut products.

But it is believed to be the first study showing major clinical benefits in such a high-risk group.

In a report the researchers said: 'Peanuts are low in saturated fat and high in mono and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.'

LDL cholesterol is the 'bad' form of blood fat known to increase the dangers to the heart.

But the researchers said peanuts and peanut butter could also be helping by reducing inflammation in the body, or boosting the health of blood vessels around the heart.

The team analysed the diets of more than 6,000 women who took part in the Nurses Health Study, a long-running investigation into female health trends which began back in 1976.

[BlueAngel]

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