Blood cholesterol and walnut consumption: A cross-sectional survey in France

Background. The preventive role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovas cular disease has been recognized, We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the association between walnut consumption toil and kernel) as a sou rce of polyunsaturated fatty acids and blood lipid levels. Methods. Seven hundred ninety-three persons, males and females, ages 18-65 years, living in a walnut production area (Dauphine, France) attended healt h screening visits organized by the Agriculture Social Security. Past diet (1-year recall, including walnut and animal fat consumption) and cardiovasc ular risk factors were ascertained using food frequency questionnaires. For each participant a blood sample was taken to measure HDL, LDL, and total c holesterol; apo A1; and apo B, Results. A high level of HDL cholesterol and apo A1 was associated with a h igh amount of walnut consumption toil and kernel) in the regular diet, with a positive trend with increasing degree of walnut consumption. This associ ation did not appear to be confounded by dietary animal fat and alcohol as measured in this study. Other blood lipids did not show significant associa tions with walnut consumption. Conclusion. The positive effect of walnut consumption on blood HDL choleste rol and apo A1 is of special interest since these lipid parameters have bee n shown to be negatively correlated with cardiovascular morbidity. (C) 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.