STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have discovered eating macadamia nuts can result in a reduction of cardiovascular disease risks.

Penn State researchers led by Amy Griel found macadamia nuts contain 59 grams of monounsaturated fat per 100 grams of nuts, compared with other tree nuts that contain between nine grams and 46 grams.

The researchers found a daily diet containing 1.5 ounces of macadamia nuts, as compared with a standard U.S. diet, reduced total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The Heart Healthy and standard American diets were also matched for total fat. The Heart Healthy diet with macadamia nuts had 7 percent saturated fat, 18 percent monounsaturated fat and 5 percent polyunsaturated fat. The standard American diet had 13 percent saturated fat, 11 percent monounsaturated fat and 5 percent polyunsaturated fat.

The macadamia nut diet included macadamia nuts as a snack, mixed into meals, as a salad topping, and in cookies and muffins.

Macadamia nuts are native to Australia but are mostly grown commercially in Hawaii.

The research that included Griel; Deborah Bagshaw, Amy Cifelli, Yumei Cao, and Professor Penny Kris-Etherton was supported by The Hershey Co. and the National Institutes of Health.

ScienceDaily.com