In a recent large review study, it was found once again that eating nuts reduces blood cholesterol levels. In this review, the type of nut eaten didn’t seem to affect the benefit. The key was that they were tree nuts: walnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts. The lowering affects were seen on the total cholesterol, the LDL or “bad” cholesterol, ApoB (high levels of which indicate heart disease), and triglycerides (high levels of this can increase your risk of heart disease). So for heart health eat a small handful of nuts everyday, preferably unsalted.
Source:
Del Gobbo, L. C., Falk, M. C., Feldman, R., Lewis, K. and Mozaffarian, D. (2015) Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: systematic review, meta-analysis, and dose-response of 61 controlled intervention trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 102(6) doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.110965