Health Benefits of Nuts? Absolutely! 

The Snack That Can Benefit Your Health... From Preventing Heart Disease To Boosting Immunity

Most people think that nuts are high in calories and fat... and they are right! Nuts are quite calorically dense. 15 cashews, for instance, deliver ~180 kcal! On top of that, it is very tough not to overeat these tasty snacks. If you can restrain yourself from overeating them, nuts can definitely be a part of a healthy diet.

Researchers found that people who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease. In 1996, the Iowa Women's Healthy Study found that women who ate nuts >4 times a week were 40% less likely to die of heart disease. Two years later, another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found a similar result in another group of women subjects. Furthermore, potential heart health benefits of nuts were also found among men. In 2002, the Physician's Health Study found that men who consumed nuts 2 or more times per week had reduced risks of sudden cardiac death.

Go Nuts

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium.  Nuts are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 - the good fats) which have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.

In 2003, the FDA approved the following health claim for 7 kinds of nuts

The best approach is to reap the health benefits of eating nuts but not add excessive calories to your daily intake. So instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats and limit your intake of these tasty treats to 1 to 2 oz per day . For instance, instead of adding chocolate chips when making cookies, sprinkle on some nuts. Or instead of making a deli meat sandwich, try a nut butter toast.

Nuts can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 35%

Unfortunately, many people aren't deriving any of these important health benefits, choosing instead to follow mainstream advice and follow a low-fat diet, which means nuts are out because of their fatty nature and high calorie content.

Yes, nuts are high in fat but they contain high levels of healthy fats that are known to have heart-protective benefits. As Lawrence Kirk, a naturopath and lecturer in diet and medicine at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, explains: "What many people don't appreciate is that the fat contained in nuts is mostly the healthiest monounsaturated type. Most nuts are quite low in artery-clogging saturated fats".

And Dr Hannah Theobald, a nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation in London, says: "Numerous studies have shown that replacing saturated fatty acids in the diet with unsaturated fats can lower bad, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)." It is LDL cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.
The famous Nurses Health Study, which included over 86,000 participants, is an example of the heart-protective benefits of nuts. The participants in this study who ate nuts at least five times a week were found to have a 35 per cent lower risk of heart disease compared with those who rarely ate nuts or avoided them.

In addition, research conducted by Professor Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, found that participants who ate peanuts and peanut butter experienced a 10 per cent reduction in triglycerides and also lowered their levels of LDL cholesterol. High triglyceride levels, like LDL cholesterol, are strongly implicated in increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Eating a broad range of nuts is best as they each have specific health benefits
Another reason to eat more peanuts is because they're an excellent source of B vitamins, including folate, riboflavin and niacin. All of which are essential for healthy metabolism and growth; a deficiency of them can cause muscle degredation and fatigue.

Like peanuts, walnuts also have important benefits for your heart because of the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids they contain. Both omega 3 and omega 6 are also needed for maintaining healthy joints and brain function.

Another must are Brazil nuts. A recent study conducted at the University of Illinois in the US suggests that Brazil nuts may play a vital role in preventing breast cancer. According to the scientists who carried out the study, this benefit is probably a result of the high amounts of selenium they contain.

Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralise harmful free radicals that can attack healthy cells and increase the risk of serious conditions like heart disease and cancer - including breast cancer as already mentioned, and lung, bowel and prostate cancer.

The list of health benefits attached to each individual nut is endless. Other nuts that are particularly good include: pistachios for their high iron, protein and fibre content and high levels of magnesium, which helps control blood pressure; hazelnuts because they are one of the richest sources of the antioxidant vitamin E; and cashew nuts for their high iron content which is needed to make haemoglobin - the red pigment in the blood.

Obviously it goes without saying that nuts should not be eaten by anyone with an allergy to them. The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that if you have a family history of nut allergies you should avoid nuts when pregnant and should not give them to your children to eat in their early years.

Related Links:

Paths to better health

Super Foods: The Top 10 Healthiest Foods

10 Tips to Healthy Eating

Food Pyramid - Healthy Eating for Lifetime

Complete Guide to HEALTH ==>> 

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