| The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved cholesterol-lowering health claims on plant sterols, viscous fibers, and soy protein and is now considering nuts. We therefore assessed almonds in two studies of hyperlipidemic subjects: (1) at two doses (37g and 73g) compared to control whole-wheat muffins in a randomized crossover trial, with both supplements providing 22.2% energy (n = 27); and (2) combined with other cholesterol-lowering components (plant sterols (1 g/1,000 kcal), soy protein (23g/1,000 kcal), and viscous fibers (9g/1,000 kcal)) in a one month very low saturated fat diet (n = 13). Almonds reduced blood lipids in a numerical dose-dependent manner. Seventy-three grams almonds reduced LDL-cholesterol and oxidized LDL by 9.4 ± 1.9% (P < 0.001) and 14.0 ± 3.8% (P < 0.001), respectively. The combination of almonds with other FDA-approved components, lowered LDL-cholesterol by 29.0 ± 2.7% (P < 0.001) with no significant change in oxidized LDL. Almonds provided as snacks or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering components can improve risk factors for CHD. |
