According to a new examination of published studies of nut ingestion and blood fats, consuming ample quantity of nuts can result in better cholesterol levels, but the benefits appear to be the best for skinny individuals, those having less healthy food, and people with increased levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Dr. Joan Sabate of Loma Linda University in California told Reuters Health that analyses in men and women from diverse nations have revealed that "nuts do lower cholesterol, so it's pretty much universal".

Nuts include a variety of healthy ingredients, together with "good" fats, fiber, and antioxidants.

In 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration affirmed that consuming 1.5 ounces a day of some nuts may help decrease the risk of heart problems.

Sabate and associates collected data from 25 studies from seven nations comprising 583 men and women, few with high cholesterol and some with normal cholesterol.

They discovered that ingestion of 67 grams (around 2.4 ounces) of nuts everyday reduced a person's overall cholesterol levels by 11 points (a 5% decrease); lowered their dangerous LDL cholesterol levels by 10 points (a 7% drop); and moved the ratio of total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol to "good" HDL cholesterol in a positive direction.

The benefits were observed both in people with average cholesterol levels and those with high cholesterol.