Health Update: Health nuts

WALNUTS are excellent for the heart, according to a study from researchers at Loma Linda University, California. In trials involving two groups of healthy men on medically recommended cholesterol-lowering diets, they found that the diet which included a moderate quantity of walnuts was more effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels.

The researchers point out in the New England Journal of Medicine that in walnuts the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats is 7:1 - one of the highest naturally occurring in foods. The nuts are also extremely versatile: they can easily be added to bread, puddings and entrees.