Honey and Almonds

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Studies find honey and almonds can help fight heart attacks

 

Two separate studies suggest a daily dose of honey or almonds may help prevent heart disease by fighting cholesterol.

 

Canadian researchers at St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, found almonds lowered cholesterol levels by up to 9.4% in patients with high cholesterol.

 

Lead author David J A Jenkins says doctors should encourage patients to eat almonds as part of a healthy diet.

 

In a five-week US study, University of Illinois researchers found a daily dose of four tablespoons of honey mixed in a glass of water increased antioxidant levels in blood.

 

Researchers analysed blood samples from 25 men aged 18 to 68 and found antioxidants in honey were comparable to that in fruit and vegetables.

 

Nicki Engeseth, who led the study, says honey has potential to prevent heart disease. She admits you'd need to eat an equivalent per-weight amount for it to have the same effect as fruit and vegetables.

 

Presenting the results to a meeting of the American Chemical Society, she said: "People could incorporate more honey in places where they might be using some sort of sweetening agent, like sugar."

 

In the three-month Canadian study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers monitored 27 male and female patients with an average age of 64 and high cholesterol levels.

 

They ate two handfuls of almonds a day in the first month, one handful a day in the second and a 'control diet' of a low-saturated fat whole wheat muffin in the third.

 

The team tested cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight. A handful of almonds lowered cholesterol levels by 4.4% and two handfuls by 9.4%. Cholesterol levels didn't drop after the muffin phase of the diet.

 

Story filed: 21:03 Monday 19th August 2002