Significant heterogeneity was not observed by nut type or other factors .
Tree nut intake  lowers total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol , ApoB , and triglycerides .
The major determinant of cholesterol lowering appears to be nut dose rather than nut type .
BACKGROUND The effects of nuts on major cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors , including dose-responses and potential heterogeneity by nut type or phytosterol content , are not well established .
OBJECTIVES We examined the effects of tree nuts ( walnuts , pistachios , macadamia nuts , pecans , cashews , almonds , hazelnuts , and Brazil nuts ) on blood lipids [ total cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein , and triglycerides ] , lipoproteins [ apolipoprotein A1 , apolipoprotein B ( ApoB ) , and apolipoprotein B100 ] , blood pressure , and inflammation ( C-reactive protein ) in adults aged ≥18 y without prevalent CVD .
Almond Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adults with Prediabetes
Objective : The authors tested the hypothesis that in adults with prediabetes , an almond-enriched American Diabetes Association ( ADA ) diet improves measures of insulin sensitivity and other cardiovascular risk factors compared with an ADA nut-free diet . Methods : Design : R and omized parallel-group trial . Setting : Outpatient dietary counseling and blood analysis . Subjects : Sixty-five adult participants with prediabetes . Intervention : Sixteen weeks of dietary modification featuring an ADA diet containing 20 % of energy from almonds ( approximately 2 oz per day ) . Measures of Outcome : Outcomes included fasting glucose , insulin , total cholesterol ( TC ) , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) , triglycerides , TC : HDL-C , and HbA1c , which were measured at weeks 0 , 8 , and 16 . Body weight , body mass index ( BMI ) , waist circumference , blood pressure , and nutrient intake were measured at weeks 0 , 4 , 8 , 12 , and 16 . Results : The almond-enriched intervention group exhibited greater reductions in insulin ( −1.78 µU/ml vs. + 1.47 µU/ml , p = 0.002 ) , homeostasis model analysis for insulin resistance ( −0.48 vs. + 0.30 , p = 0.007 ) , and homeostasis model analysis for beta-cell function ( −13.2 vs. + 22.3 , p = 0.001 ) compared with the nut-free control group . Clinical ly significant declines in LDL-C were found in the almond-enriched intervention group ( −12.4 mg/dl vs. −0.4 mg/dl ) as compared with the nut-free control group . No changes were observed in BMI ( −0.4 vs. −0.7 kg/m2 , p = 0.191 ) , systolic blood pressure ( −4.4 mm Hg vs. −3.5 mm Hg , p = 0.773 ) , or for the other measured cardiovascular risk factors . Conclusions : An ADA diet consisting of 20 % of calories as almonds over a 16-week period is effective in improving markers of insulin sensitivity and yields clinical ly significant improvements in LDL-C in adults with prediabetes
Significant heterogeneity was not observed by nut type or other factors .
Tree nut intake  lowers total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol , ApoB , and triglycerides .
The major determinant of cholesterol lowering appears to be nut dose rather than nut type .
BACKGROUND The effects of nuts on major cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors , including dose-responses and potential heterogeneity by nut type or phytosterol content , are not well established .
OBJECTIVES We examined the effects of tree nuts ( walnuts , pistachios , macadamia nuts , pecans , cashews , almonds , hazelnuts , and Brazil nuts ) on blood lipids [ total cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein , and triglycerides ] , lipoproteins [ apolipoprotein A1 , apolipoprotein B ( ApoB ) , and apolipoprotein B100 ] , blood pressure , and inflammation ( C-reactive protein ) in adults aged ≥18 y without prevalent CVD .