In fact, New Mexico State University researchers reported in the March 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that diets that include almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, and pistachios can help lower cholesterol. With all this talk of fat, your instincts may still be telling you to steer clear of nuts. Nuts are so full of nutrients that they tend to satisfy people's hunger on fewer calories than, say, chips or pretzels. And a study published in the July 1992 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who eat nuts regularly are actually less likely to be overweight than people who avoid them. Health talk aside, there are plenty of other reasons to celebrate nuts.
Convenience is one.
You can put a small package in your pocket and eat them as a snack. Versatility is another. Nuts can be part of soups and salads, pastas and desserts. But the real reason to love nuts is their unique and rich flavors. Gene Spiller, PhD, is the director of the Health Research and Studies Center in Los Altos, Calif., as well as the author of Healthy Nuts and Nutrition Secrets of the Ancients.