Credit check Olive oil gets all the credit. But new research shows that walnuts may actually beat it when it comes to protecting your heart. Researchers in Spain recruited 24 people for their study -- 12 with normal cholesterol levels and 12 with what they referred to as "moderately high" levels. One week, each group was fed a meal of salami and cheese supplemented with 5 teaspoons of olive oil. The researchers then ran tests measuring various aspects of cardiovascular function. The following week, both groups were fed the same salami-and-cheese meal, but this time they were given eight shelled walnuts along with it instead of the oil. Afterwards, the subjects underwent the same tests they had been given a week before. The test results revealed that olive oil and walnuts both helped reduce levels of inflammation and oxidation in the participants' arteries. However, only the walnuts helped maintain the elasticity and flexibility of the subjects' arteries. According to the researchers, eating walnuts "actually undoes some of the detrimental effects of eating a high-saturated fat diet, whereas neutral fat, such as olive oil, does not have as much protective ability." Obviously this study isn't a permission slip to adopt a salami-and-cheese diet. But we're all human and some form of saturated fat is bound to get into your system at some point. So it's nice to know there's a tasty way to combat it. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that walnuts work best against saturated fat when you eat them raw, right out of the shell. Roasted, salted, or otherwise processed versions won't have the same effects. | 
