Mediterranean diet plus nuts may cut heart risks

"A traditional Mediterranean diet that includes a healthy serving of nuts each day may help reverse a cluster of risk factors for heart disease, researchers reported Monday. In a study of more than 1,200 older adults, Spanish researchers found that those who followed the diet had lower rates of metabolic syndrome - a clustering of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, which includes high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, elevated blood sugar and unhealthy cholesterol levels. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the men and women who followed the nut-enriched Mediterranean diet fell by nearly 14 percent over one year compared with roughly 7 percent among study participants who followed a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil. In a third study group that received advice to follow a low-fat diet, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome dipped by only 2 percent. Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, December 8/22, 2008" - Reuters