healthy heart diet

* A study published in November in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) adds to the evidence for almonds' role in helping lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University studied the effect of changing the amount of carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fat in the diet on blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Almonds were eaten as a snack in a high-protein diet and an unsaturated fat diet, but not included in a high-carbohydrate diet. The researchers discovered that the protein and unsaturated fat diets improved blood pressure and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and total cholesterol levels more than the carbohydrate diet.