How eating nuts can help your heart

Eating fat to prevent heart disease sounds nuts, right? Yet almonds, walnuts and other nuts (even peanuts, which are legumes) are packed with fibre, protein, healthy fats and nutrients that may help protect your heart.

• No fewer than five large population studies have found that cardiovascular disease is far less common among people who consume nuts on a regular basis.
• One survey showed that older men and women who eat nuts at least five times a week cut their risk of a fatal heart attack by 39 percent
• Any kind of nut seems to boost cardiovascular health, though the hazelnut happens to be one of the best sources of heart-friendly monounsaturated fat
• Studies show that adopting a diet that's high in monounsaturated fat can lower total cholesterol by 10 percent and cut low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, by 14 percent
• Walnuts are relatively low in "monos," but they're rich in the omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which some research suggests may have cardiovascular benefits

• While doctors have long recommended low-fat diets to prevent heart disease, adding nuts to your diet makes sense
• Harvard researchers found that eating nuts instead of fatty meats and other sources of saturated fat can reduce your odds of having a heart attack by up to 45 percent
• 25 grams (one ounce) of dry-roasted peanuts provides a generous dose of nutrients known to protect the cardiovascular system, including folate, niacin and vitamin E, among others
• Peanuts are also rich in plant sterols, which help prevent cholesterol from entering the bloodstream

The research is clear: nut lovers have healthy hearts, thanks to the bounty of "good" fat and other nutrients in these satisfying snacks.