Overall , high-walnut-enriched diets significantly decreased total and LDL cholesterol for the duration of the short-term trials .
BACKGROUND Consumption of nuts has been associated with a decreased risk of  cardiovascular disease events  and death .
Walnuts in particular have a unique profile : they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids , which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors .
OBJECTIVES We aim ed to conduct a literature review and a meta- analysis to combine the results from several trials and to estimate the effect of walnuts on blood lipids .
The chronic intake of a Mediterranean diet enriched in virgin olive oil, decreases nuclear transcription factor kappaB activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy men.
OBJECTIVE Nuclear transcription factor kappaB ( NF-kappaB ) plays a key role in the inflammatory response and can be modulate by dietary fat . We have examined the effect of three diets , with different fat composition , on the activation of NF-kappaB on peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( P BMC s ) . METHODS Sixteen healthy men followed three 4-week diets , in a r and omised crossover design : a Western diet , rich in saturated fat ( SFA ) [ 22 % SFA , 12 % monounsaturated fat ( MUFA ) and 0 , 4 alpha-linolenic acid ] ; a Mediterranean diet [ < 10 % SFA , 24 % MUFA and 0.4 % alpha-linolenic acid ] , and a low fat diet enriched in alpha-linolenic acid [ < 10 % SFA , 12 % MUFA and 2 % alpha-linolenic acid ] . NF-kappaB ( electrophoretic mobility shift assay ) in mononuclear cells and plasma concentrations ( ELISA ) of soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1 ( VCAM-1 ) were examined after either diets . RESULTS Western diet increased 2.7-fold NF-kappaB compared with the Mediterranean diet ( p=0.038 ) and 1.79-fold with the alpha-linolenic acid diet ( p=0.07 ) . No differences were found between the last two . Furthermore , an increase on plasma VCAM-1 was observed with the Western diet ( p<0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS The Mediterranean diet diminished NF-kappaB activation in mononuclear cells , compared with Western diet , supporting its cardioprotective properties . The effect of the n-3 enriched diet was intermediate
Overall , high-walnut-enriched diets significantly decreased total and LDL cholesterol for the duration of the short-term trials .
BACKGROUND Consumption of nuts has been associated with a decreased risk of  cardiovascular disease events  and death .
Walnuts in particular have a unique profile : they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids , which may improve blood lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors .
OBJECTIVES We aim ed to conduct a literature review and a meta- analysis to combine the results from several trials and to estimate the effect of walnuts on blood lipids .