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This is probably one of the most surprising studies ever published. Its implications may be far more significant than we can imagine.
People with high cholesterol today mostly take medications daily to lower it. However, these themselves represent a significant health risk.
Most often these are drugs from the statin group, which are associated with a number of serious side effects, such as muscle weakness, muscle pain and possible negative effects on the brain.
A recent scientific discovery, however, suggests that the problem of high cholesterol could have a much simpler and more natural solution.
Brazilian (para) nuts and cholesterol
In the mentioned study, scientists focused on the effect of consuming Brazil nuts on blood cholesterol levels.
Test volunteers were given doses of 0, 5, 20 and 50 grams of Brazil nuts (approximately 0, 1, 4 and 10 nuts). Subsequently, levels of „bad“ LDL and „good“ HDL cholesterol were measured at various time intervals.
The results literally shocked the researchers.
LDL cholesterol began to decrease and HDL cholesterol, on the contrary, started to increase already 9 hours after consumption. And most remarkable – a single dose of Brazil nuts was enough.
For comparison: common cholesterol drugs take approximately 4 days before the first changes in values appear, and they must be taken every day.
A more pronounced adjustment of cholesterol levels occurred already at a dose of 20 grams, that is roughly 4 to 6 Brazil nuts.
Development of cholesterol levels according to the study
Graph 1 – LDL („bad“) cholesterol
Graph 2 – HDL („good“) cholesterol
A closer look at the study results brought one more crucial finding. Cholesterol levels not only adjusted within 9 to 24 hours, but this effect persisted for up to 30 days.
In other words: instead of taking medications daily with potentially dangerous side effects, it may be enough to eat 20 to 50 grams of Brazil nuts once a month.
What Brazil nuts owe their effect to
Scientists believe that the main reason for this effect is the high selenium content.
Selenium is part of approximately 20 enzymes in the body with strong antioxidant effects. It protects the organism from degenerative diseases such as diabetes or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
It is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system and the cardiovascular system, where it helps protect against coronary heart disease and lipid oxidation.
The study showed that another significant property of selenium is its protective effect on cholesterol.
Brazil nuts also contain a number of other important nutrients:
- unsaturated fatty acids
- proteins
- fiber
- minerals: magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium and copper
- vitamins E and B6
As already stated in the introduction, this is an extraordinarily interesting discovery that may help many people reduce the use of cholesterol medications.
If this topic does not concern you directly, but you have someone around you who takes cholesterol medications, share this article with them.
