Health Benefits Of Nuts
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Nuts are a very popular food.
They’re tasty, convenient, and easy to add in Diet's Plan.
Nuts are high in fat, but they have a number of impressive health and weight benefits.
Here are the top 8 health benefits of eating nuts.
∆ What Are Nuts?
Nuts are dry fruits or seeds kernels that are widely used in cooking or eaten on their own as a snack. Nuts are high in fat and calories.
They contain a hard, inedible outer shell that usually needs to be cracked open to release the kernel inside.
Fortunately, you can buy most nuts from the store already shelled and ready to eat.
A] Here are some of the most commonly consumed nuts:
- Almonds
- Cashew
- Pine Nuts
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Brazil Nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Pecans
- Peanuts
Though peanuts are technically legumes like peas and beans, they’re usually referred to as nuts due to their similar nutrition profile and characteristics.
1] A Great Source of Many Nutrients
Nuts are highly nutritious. Nuts are high in fat, low in carbs, and a great source of several nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium.
∆ One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains :
1) Calories 160–170
2) Protein: 5 grams
3) Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
4) Fiber: 3 grams
5) Carbs: 6 grams
6) Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
7) Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
8) Copper: 23% of the RDI
9) Manganese: 26% of the RDI
10) Selenium: 56% of the RDI
11) Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
{Note: RDI- Reference or Recommended Daily Intake}.
The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving.
That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.
2] Nuts May Helps in Weight Loss
Though they’re considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts may help you lose weight.
One large study assessing the effects of the Mediterranean diet found that people assigned to eat nuts lost an average of 2 inches (5 cm) from their waists significantly more than those given olive oil.
Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain in controlled studies. Some research suggests that pistachios aid weight loss as well .
In one study in overweight women, those eating almonds lost nearly three times as much weight and experienced a significantly greater decrease in waist size compared to the control group .
What’s more, even though nuts are quite high in calories, research shows that your body doesn’t absorb all of them, as a portion of fat stays trapped within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion.
Our body doesn’t absorb all of the calories in nuts.
For instance, while the nutrition facts on a package of almonds may indicate that a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving has 160–170 calories, your body only absorbs about 129 of these calories.
Similarly, recent studies found that your body absorbs about 21% and 5% fewer calories from walnuts and pistachios, respectively.
3] High in Beneficial Fiber
Fiber provides many health benefits.
While your body can’t digest fiber, the bacteria that live in your colon can.
Many types of fiber function as prebiotics or food for your healthy gut bacteria.
Your gut bacteria then ferment the fiber and turn it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
These SCFAs have powerful benefits, including improving gut health and reducing your risk of diabetes and obesity .
Plus, fiber helps you feel full and reduces the number of calories you absorb from meals.
One study suggests that increasing fiber intake from 18 to 36 grams daily may result in up to 130 fewer calories absorbed .
Here are the nuts with the
∆ Highest fiber content per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
- Almonds: 3.5 grams
- Pistachios: 2.9 grams
- Peanuts: 2.6 grams
- Pecans: 2.9 grams
- Hazelnuts: 2.9 grams.
- Brazil nuts: 2.1 grams
4] Nuts Are Antioxidants Power-House
Antioxidants, including the polyphenols in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals unstable molecules that may cause cell damage and increase disease risk .
One study found that walnuts have a greater capacity to fight free radicals than fish.
Research shows that the antioxidants in walnuts and almonds can protect the delicate fats in your cells from being damaged by oxidation.
In one study in 13 people, eating walnuts or almonds increased polyphenol levels and significantly reduced oxidative damage, compared to a control meal.
Another study found that 2–8 hours after consuming whole pecans, participants experienced a 26–33% drop in their levels of oxidized “bad” LDL cholesterol.
However, studies in older people and individuals with metabolic syndrome found that walnuts and cashews didn’t have a big impact on antioxidant capacity, though some other markers improved.
5] Nuts May Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Pistachios have been shown to lower triglycerides in people who are obese and those with diabetes.
In one 12-week study in obese people, those eating pistachios had triglyceride levels nearly 33% lower than in the control group.
The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts may be due to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Almonds and hazelnuts appear to raise “good” HDL cholesterol while reducing total and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
One study found that ground, sliced, or whole hazelnuts had similar beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.
6] May Reduce Inflammation
Nuts have strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Inflammation is your body’s way of defending itself from injury, bacteria, and other potentially harmful pathogens.
However, chronic, long-term inflammation can cause damage to organs and increase disease risk.
Research suggests that eating nuts may reduce inflammation and promote healthy aging .
In a study on the Mediterranean diet, people whose diets were supplemented with nuts experienced a 35% and 90% decrease in the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), respectively.
Similarly, some nuts including pistachios, Brazil nuts, walnuts, and almonds
have been found to fight inflammation in healthy people and those with serious conditions like diabetes and kidney disease.
Yet, one study on almond consumption in healthy adults observed little difference between the almond and control groups, though a few inflammatory markers decreased in those eating almonds.
7] May reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Nuts are extremely good for your heart.
Several studies suggest that nuts help lower heart disease and stroke risk due to their benefits for cholesterol levels, “bad” LDL particle size, artery function, and inflammation.
Studies found that small, dense LDL particles may increase heart disease risk more than larger LDL particles.
Interestingly, one study on the Mediterranean diet found that people who ate nuts had a significant decline in small LDL particles and an increase in large LDL particles, as well as “good” HDL cholesterol levels
In another study, people with normal or high cholesterol were randomly assigned to consume either olive oil or nuts with a high-fat meal.
People in the nut group had better artery function and lower fasting triglycerides than the olive oil group regardless of their initial cholesterol levels .
∆ How To Use Nuts and Nutshell
Nuts can be enjoyed whole, as nut butters, or chopped up and sprinkled on food.
They’re widely available in grocery stores and online and come in a wide variety of options, including salted, unsalted, seasoned, plain, raw, or roasted.
In general, it’s healthiest to eat nuts raw or toast them in the oven at a temperature below 350°F (175°C).
Dry-roasted nuts are the next-best option, but try to avoid nuts roasted in vegetable and seed oils.
Nuts can be kept at room temperature, which makes them ideal for on-the-go snacks and traveling.
However, if you’re going to be storing them for long, a refrigerator or freezer will keep them fresher.
They’re healthiest raw or toasted. Store them at room temperature or put them in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresher for longer.
∆ Summary
Eating nuts on a regular basis may improve your health in many ways, such as by reducing diabetes and heart disease risk, as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
This nutritious high-fiber treat may even aid weight loss — despite its high calorie count.
As long as you eat them in moderation, nuts make for a tasty addition to a healthy, balanced diet.
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