The results of our study show that another food source rich in
MUFAs, peanut products (ie, peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut
oil), can be used in designing high-MUFA diets. The availability
of an additional food source rich in MUFAs is invaluable
within the context of diet planning. With greater flexibility in diet planning as a result of multiple food sources of MUFA, it is
not unreasonable to speculate that compliance with a cholesterol-
lowering diet can be enhanced. Moreover, because peanuts
and peanut products also are a rich source of other nutrients,
their inclusion in the diet can favorably affect the nutrient profile
of the diet. Further impetus for recommending inclusion of
nuts in the diet comes from recent epidemiologic studies that
show a marked reduction in CVD risk with frequent nut consumption
(34–36). Several studies have reported a doseresponse
relation between nut consumption and the incidence
of CVD. For example, consumption of nuts 5 times/wk has
been shown to reduce the incidence of CVD by 50%, whereas
consumption 1–4 times/wk decreases the incidence by 25%
(34). Thus, there is provocative evidence that there are cardioprotective
nutrients or factors in nuts.