A recent study from the University of Toronto has shown that the consumption of walnuts in the portfolio diet is a useful factor in lowering cholesterol levels and protecting our cardiovascular system.

The portfolio diet, a vegetarian diet created in the early 2000s by Dr David Jenkins from Toronto, calls for the intake of about 2.000 calories per day and includes the consumption of four specific foods: 45 grams of walnuts or dried fruit, 50 grams of vegetable protein, 20 grams of soluble viscous fibres, and 2 grams of vegetable sterols.

Dr Sievenpiper, who took part in the study recently published in the scientific journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, has confirmed that this diet can help keep bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in check and improves blood pressure.

Some patients have chosen to follow this diet also for ethical and environmental reasons, while others do it for prevention with their children.

Sievenpiper, who also works at the Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, has in fact stated that an early intervention on the type of diet during childhood is of paramount importance to prevent risk factors.

Furthermore, he confirms that one of the positive aspects of this diet is that introducing even just one of the four main recommended components is better than none.

Walnut consumption is therefore highly recommended by various medical studies for staying healthy and the prevention of certain disorders.

Walnuts are important in our daily diet and can be consumed in various ways, both by themselves or by preparing delicious recipes.

So why not snacking every day on something that is good for our health?

Sources:

• Chiavaroli L, Nishi S K, Khan T A et al. (2018) Portfolio Dietary Pattern and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Controlled Trials. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 61 (1): 43-53