The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Marketplace
    • Autos
    • Jobs
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Shopping
    • Dining Out
    • Education
    • TWT Store
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    DAVIS: Yankee hater finds love for team

  • National

    Late-season hurricane heads toward Gulf

  • Politics

    Abortion takes driver's seat in debate

  • Sports

    Redskins still going south

  • World

    Democracy a struggle in former Soviet Union

  • Politics

    Roadblock to greet health bill in Senate

  • Politics

    Lieberman vows probe of Hood rampage

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Nuts dance with heart-healthy value

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama, Netanyahu to meet
  • Suicide bomber kills 12 in Pakistan market
  • Abortion takes driver's seat in debate
  • Same old problems plague Redskins

By

Disco music and nuts have a lot in common. Both were popular decades ago. Both are fun but a little oily. And both have been staging a comeback.

In the 1960s and '70, nuts received praise for their nutritional virtues. In the '80s they landed on the taboo list as a primary suspect in weight gain, due to their high calorie counts. And now, wouldn't you know it, nuts are back in the food rotation with high marks for their potential heart-healthy benefits.

I never had a problem with disco and, for that matter, I never held a grudge against nuts. Unfortunately, the bad rap nuts acquired in the 1980s lingers. I'm a dietitian, and when I mention nuts to clients, they often look at me quizzically and say, "Are you crazy? Nuts are so high in fat."

It is true that nuts contain a lot of calories and fat, but did you ever stop to think about just how many nuts you are eating? Has anyone looked at the food label that is conveniently printed on the back of the nut jar to check how many nuts are in a serving portion?

Most likely, if you stay within the recommended portion, your waistline won't expand. As with many foods in the modern diet, the problem is not the food itself, but the amount we eat that gives food -- in this case nuts -- a bad rep.

When you look at the situation more closely, it turns out that the fat in nuts may not even be that bad for you. Let me clarify a few points that I know are keeping you awake at night.

• Yes, nuts are highly caloric. Depending on the nut, one serving can have anywhere from 17 to 22 grams of fat. Sorry folks, there's no getting around it.

• Although they have a lot of fat, most of it takes the form of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, both so-called good fats because they may have the positive effect of lowering bad LDL cholesterol.

• Nuts are low in saturated fat, the bad fat that tends to increase LDL cholesterol that eventually congregates on the walls of your arteries and leads to atherosclerosis.

• Nuts contain no cholesterol. A quick reminder: Cholesterol only comes from animal products or animal byproducts. So nuts are in the clear.

12345Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EXCLUSIVE: Rare virus poses new threat to troops
  2. Parents buying homes for kids at college
  3. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  4. House OKs health reform bill
  5. Inside the Beltway
More Top Stories »
  1. Sniper's ex-wife speaks out on abuse
  2. Annandale man killed in hit-and-run
  3. Aborted fetus cells used in beauty creams
  4. Sunshine vitamin stirs new debate
  5. PRUDEN: Corpse sits up, gets nice salute

Most Shared

  1. Parents buying homes for kids at college
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Rare virus poses new threat to troops
  3. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  4. Sunshine vitamin stirs new debate
  5. Obama's unlearned lesson
More Top Stories »
  1. NSA surveillance -- of you?
  2. EDITORIAL: The negative Obama factor
  3. PRUDEN: Corpse sits up, gets nice salute
  4. Aborted fetus cells used in beauty creams
  5. Israelis unsure of U.S. support

Most Commented

  1. House OKs health reform bill
  2. EDITORIAL: Too scared to recognize terrorism
  3. Muslims stunned by Fort Hood shooting
  4. Furious scramble for health reform support
  5. 'Gentle' Army psychiatrist displayed worrisome signs
More Top Stories »
  1. Army chief wary of backlash against Muslim soldiers
  2. Obama praises those who ended Fort Hood violence
  3. Making fun of faith
  4. Israelis unsure of U.S. support
  5. Obama: It's Senate's turn on health care

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • POTUS Notes

    New Dem talking point on Obama approval doesn't wash

  • The Back Story

    12 arrested at Pelosi's office

  • Belief Blog

    Washington goes Greek this week

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Redskins 360

    Samuels feeling better, hopeful

  • Tara's Two Cents

    On their way to summer vacation..

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.