Month: November 2023

Hundreds of people were asked about the most positive and negative events in their lives.

Hundreds of people were asked about the most positive and negative events in their lives.

Author: Jeremy Dean

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. He is also the author of the book “Making Habits, Breaking Habits” (Da Capo, 2013) and several ebooks. View all posts by Jeremy Dean

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HDL cholesterol, known as “good” cholesterol, is important in lowering the risk of heart disease.

HDL cholesterol, known as “good” cholesterol, is important in lowering the risk of heart disease.

Eating almonds improves the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol as well as removing ‘bad’ cholesterol, a study reveals.

Good cholesterol, known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol), is important in lowering the risk of heart disease.

Almonds are nutritious and high in vitamins E and B.

They are also a source of minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc as well as providing good levels of fat and fibre.

Almonds can raise the functioning of HDL cholesterol, which gathers ‘bad’ cholesterol from tissues like the arteries and helps to transport it out of the body.

The randomised controlled trial showed that the levels and function of HDL cholesterol were improved in people who had a diet with 43g of unsalted, whole, natural almonds a day for 6 weeks

This group was compared to people who had a similar diet, but instead of almonds ate a muffin.

The researchers found that while participants were on the almond diet, their HDL levels and functionality improved.

Professor Penny Kris-Etherton, an author of the study, said:

“HDL is very small when it gets released into circulation.

It’s like a garbage bag that slowly gets bigger and more spherical as it gathers cholesterol from cells and tissues before depositing them in the liver to be broken down.”

HDL cholesterol is categorised into different subspecies and particle sizes which range from the very small pre-β-1 HDL to the very large α-1 HDL.

High concentrations of pre-β-1 HDL and low concentrations of α-1 HDL, alone or in combination, have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Introducing almonds to a low-fat diet improves HDL subspecies and function and prevents decreases in α-1 HDL, which is caused by the traditional low-fat diet.

Professor Kris-Etherton said:

“We were able to show that there were more larger particles in response to consuming the almonds compared to not consuming almonds.

That would translate to the smaller particles doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

They’re going to tissues and pulling out cholesterol, getting bigger, and taking that cholesterol to the liver for removal from the body.”

About the author

Mina Dean is a Nutritionist and Food Scientist. She holds a BSc in Human Nutrition and an MSc in Food Science.

The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition (Berryman et al., 2017).

Hello, and welcome to PsyBlog. Thanks for dropping by.

This site is all about scientific research into how the mind works.

It’s mostly written by psychologist and author, Dr Jeremy Dean.

I try to dig up fascinating studies that tell us something about what it means to be human.

You can get free email updates with more articles like this from PsyBlog by clicking here.

Keep reading here

The way of thinking is linked to a 34 percent lower obesity risk.

The way of thinking is linked to a 34 percent lower obesity risk.

People who think mindfully have less belly fat, research finds.

Mindfulness is not only linked to a reduced amount of abdominal fat, but also a 34 percent lower chance of being obese.

Being mindful does not necessarily mean meditating, it can just mean everyday mindfulness.

Some people are naturally more mindful, but the trait can be trained (try these mindfulness exercises).

Many of the things people consume, they do so automatically, without attending to the consequences.

Attention to the present moment may also help overcome a common aversion to exercising.

The conclusions come from a study that included 394 people.

They were tested for mindfulness and scanned for body mass.

People with low levels of mindfulness tended to agree with statements like:

• I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.
• I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later.

The results showed a modest link between higher mindfulness and a lower risk of being obese.

Mindfulness probably helps reduce belly fat by increasing awareness of eating and drinking behaviours.

Eating is so routine that we easily zone out from the experience.

While the mind wanders, though, eating can continue automatically.

Studies have shown that people eat more when they are distracted, like when watching TV or talking with friends.

Unfortunately, when not focusing on our food, we tend to eat more and get less enjoyment from it.

The positive effects of mindfulness extend out to physical features like lower blood pressure and lower cortisol levels.

In addition to its physical benefits, mindfulness has been shown to have therapeutic benefits in depression, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic pain and eating disorders.

The study was published in the journal International Journal of Behavioral Medicine (Loucks et al., 2015).

Hello, and welcome to PsyBlog. Thanks for dropping by.

This site is all about scientific research into how the mind works.

It’s mostly written by psychologist and author, Dr Jeremy Dean.

I try to dig up fascinating studies that tell us something about what it means to be human.

You can get free email updates with more articles like this from PsyBlog by clicking here.

Author: Jeremy Dean

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. He is also the author of the book “Making Habits, Breaking Habits” (Da Capo, 2013) and several ebooks. View all posts by Jeremy Dean

Keep reading here