Harvard Health Content API

Nuts and seeds are tiny packages of dense nutrition. They include protein, fiber, healthy fats, and many vitamins and minerals. For example, peanuts and pecans contain lots of B vitamins; almonds are rich in calcium and vitamin E; walnuts have lots of folate, vitamin E, and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid). And all nuts have magnesium. To add more nuts to meals, sprinkle a few into salads, sauces, vegetables, or whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa. Limit nut and seed intake to an ounce or two per day.

About one in five people has white-coat hypertension, which refers to blood pressure that is high in the doctor’s office but normal at home. Doctors don’t typically treat this condition with medication, but white-coat hypertension may increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and death from heart disease if left untreated. People who take blood pressure medications and still experience a blood pressure rise at the doctor’s office (what’s known as white-coat effect) do not appear to face higher risk of heart disease. Lifestyle changes that can help all people with high blood pressure include losing weight, exercising regularly, limiting salt, and quitting smoking.