Do you think nuts are fattening or bad for you? 

Do you think nuts are one of the high cholesterol foods?

Yes, most people do.

Research has shown a different picture though and even the mighty US Food and Drug Administration have allowed nuts to have what they call a qualified health claim. 

That's based on the fact that there is evidence that nuts can lower the risk of heart disease.

The latest bout of research has taken a close look at pistachios. 

Testing has shown that eating small amounts every day, say two or three ounces, can actually lower total cholesterol by well over 8%, in just a month.

That's a pretty big difference in anyone's book and if you have high cholesterol, reducing it by that amount is an excellent start.

Nuts actually contain a lot of fiber and protein and as long as you don't cover them in salt, or oils, they can help reduce heart disease by lowering your cholesterol.

If you didn't already know, cholesterol comes in two types and is a bit like twins in Hollywood movie. One's good and the other's bad. LDL cholesterol is the 'bad' twin and you want to reduce it compared to the amount of HDL cholesterol, which is the 'good' twin. The ratio between the two types is as important as your total cholesterol level.

The results of the research are even more interesting when you compare the effect on the two types of cholesterol. The LDL was reduced by nearly 12%. That means the all-important ratio between LDL and HDL was tipped in favor of a healthier ratio.

Be warned though. You can't just add huge helpings of nuts to your diet and expect results. The test subjects actually had to reduce the total fat they ate, as well as having a small portion of pistachios every day.

To manage cholesterol effectively often means a lifestyle change, but it doesn't have to be a terrible change. So avoid high cholesterol foods and look for healthier alternatives.

When you consider that reducing your cholesterol can help prevent that dangerous narrowing of the arteries and protect your heart from possible future heart disease, you'd be nuts not to look into it further.

About the Author

Amin Motin writes on health issues and runs a number of health resource sites.

Visit http://www.highcholesterolfoods.net to learn more about high cholesterol foods 
and ... what you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease.