What are the health benefits of nuts? What nuts should you eat?

nuts

The health benefits of nuts

Nuts are naturally occurring dry fruits and are quite beneficial and tasty. They are nutritional powerhouses and are pleasant to eat also. They are rich in protein content, vitamins, and mineral, which are the basic requirements of our body. They also possess antioxidants. So, as a whole, they are a complete health package. They are good for overcoming depression and heart diseases.

Reduce Cardiac Diseases Risk

Recent research has found that eating nuts can reduce cardiovascular disease risk and also reduce the chance of heart attack, especially in those who have already suffered from it. This is achieved by the presence of fibers, potassium, essential fatty acids, and proteins in the nuts. We all are familiar with the importance of these nutrients for our hearts as well as for our bodies.

Lower Cholesterol Level

Nuts are found to lower cholesterol and this is done by substituting less healthy foods in the diet.  They contain omega-3 fatty acids and these are quite helpful in preventing cholesterol accumulation as well as cardiac arrhythmias. Nuts containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated lipids are found to be beneficial for heart disease. Nuts usually increase the number of good lipoproteins while decreasing the number of bad lipoproteins in our bodies.

Rich Source of Vitamins and Minerals

Many of the nutrients are rich in vitamins and minerals. The important vitamin they possess is Vitamin E which is believed to play a role as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are very vital for disease-free lives since they kill and destroy the toxins, which if accumulated prove hazards to the body’s tissues and cells. They also possess fibers that are necessary for the good health of our gastrointestinal tract, especially the colon.

Good Source of Calories

Nuts are an excellent source of calories so instead of eating junk food, you can eat nuts. In nuts, you will get good natural calories and you will be free from the additive effects of such bad junk foods.

Enhance Memory

Nuts are even found to enhance brain functions and sharpen your memory. Almond and walnut are quite famous for the same reason. People use them to sharpen their memory.

Reduce the Danger of Thrombus Formation

Eating nuts have also been shown to perk up the condition of the body’s arteries and therefore decrease the risks of developing thrombus and emboli that may lead to artery blockage and impaired blood supply. If the heart artery has been blocked by a clot, it may lead to a fatal heart attack.

Nuts For Diabetic Patients

Nuts are considered to be important ingredients in diabetic patients’ diets. The reason for this is that they incite a minimal glycemic reaction, which assists in preventing post-prandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.

Prevent Unpredictable Cardiac Arrhythmias

This extremely dangerous condition of the heart can be prevented if you daily use nuts, especially walnut since they possess a high level of omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to help prevent the development of cardiac arrhythmias

Perk up the Arterial Walls Conditions

Since nuts possess high levels of natural amino acids, particularly the arginine amino acid which reduces the risk of blood clots forming within the artery and enhances artery walls by making them elastic as they allow easy and laminar blood flow.

health benefits of nuts almonds

Almonds Benefits

There are, so many ways that almonds help the body that this author was very surprised at the ways almonds help the body.

People with heart disease should eat a couple a day because almonds lower the risk of heart attacks. Almonds lower the bad cholesterol in the body by large amounts. A cup of almonds contains 99 mg of magnesium which helps to improve the blood flow and oxygen going throughout the body. When eating just one cup of almonds a day, the body is getting thirty percent of what it needs in magnesium.

Potassium is an electrolyte that helps the body in several ways, such as helping with the function of nerves and aiding in the contraction of the heart muscle. Potassium is vital in relieving and preventing leg cramps.

Several other ways to get health benefits from almonds are constipation, respiratory disorders, coughing, heart disorder, anemia, impotency, and diabetes. This nut is full of Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, and niacin. Almonds help with skin, hair, and dental care. Almond milk is added to some soap to improve the complexion of the skin. Almonds are full of fiber which help fight against constipation.

Here are several ways that almonds help the body function properly by helping these parts get vital minerals that they need to function properly. Almonds help the heart by supplying the body with potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and reduces the chances of getting heart disease. Magnesium prevents heart attacks and almonds also help reduce C-reactive protein, this protein is artery-damaging inflammation.

Almonds are a good way to lose weight by boosting our energy level through the presence of manganese, copper, and riboflavin. When our energy level is at a high, the person is more apt to move around to use up that energy instead of sitting on the couch as a couch potato. A study by the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders shows us that a person on a low-calorie almond diet helps a person lose more weight than a person on a low-calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates. When a person is trying to lose weight, they should remember that almonds have non-saturated fat which is good for satisfying our eating.

Almonds also help with the functioning of the brain and in some cases; the mother feeds children three a day to improve their intellect. These almonds were soaked in water and were easier for the children to chew.

Some of the smaller ways that almonds help a person is by regulating the cholesterol in the body. Almonds also help with lowering blood pressure and preventing cancer. They also help to prevent cancer and diabetes, which are two major diseases in the United States.

Almonds are good for pregnant women because almonds have folic acid in them. Folic acid helps to reduce birth defects in newborn babies.

Getting a massage with almond oil helps the body in two ways. One is that it helps the body absorb vitamin E faster and helps our body relax more. Almond oil has a calm effect on some people.

health benefits of nuts brazil nut

Brazil Nuts Benefits

The Amazons Rain Forest is home to one of the tallest tree alive today. This tree is found in the non-flooded forest regions of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It grows up to fifty meters tall with a large, erect stem and wide umbrella foliage at the top. This tree can live up to five hundred to seven hundred years. Which tree is it? The Amazons Rain Forest is home to the Brazil Nut Tree and these trees cannot be found anywhere else.

Each mature tree can have up to three hundred fruit pods in a season and these pods are large shelled fruit. These fruits take fourteen months to mature after pollination. The fruit falls from the tree with a loud crashing noise and stays intact when it hits the forest floor.

Each fruit has ten to twenty-five seeds arranged in orange segments and each nut is in its thick dark shell. These shells are hard to break and when they go to the factory to be separated, some of the nuts go through a large shelling machine to get rid of the shell. Inside the shell is a nut that is three-sided in shape and has a sweet nutty-flavored white meat to it.

Each nut is high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids which are palmitoleic acids and oleic acids. These two acids help to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and to increase the good cholesterol (HDL). They also help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by helping the blood lipid profile to get healthy.

The nut is high in selenium, which is an important co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase. This mineral is important to prevent coronary artery disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancers.

This nut is rich in Vitamin E, which is lipid-soluble and Vitamin E maintains the integrity of the cell membrane of the mucous membrane. Vitamin E also helps the skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

Also, the nut is high in the following vitamins, B Complex, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B-6, and foliates. These vitamins are important as co-factors for enzymes during cellular substrate metabolism.

There are many different ways this nut is good and they are the good levels of these minerals, such as copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Copper helps to prevent anemia and bone weakness. Manganese is a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant linked to lower rates of cancer, and heart diseases, and helps to boost the immune system. Manganese is also been linked to preventing the aging process. Magnesium helps to release the energy from food to aid the nerves and muscle functions. Manganese also helps to keep the bones in the body healthy. Zinc helps strengthen the immune system, also and Vitamin E is linked to preventing heart disease.

The oil from the Brazil nut has a clean yellow color and has a pleasant, sweet smell and taste to it. The nuts can be eaten by themselves or sprinkled over salads, used in desserts such as fruitcakes, used in fudge, and on certain chocolate bars.

health benefits of nuts cashew nuts

Cashew Nuts Benefits

Cashew Nuts are found at the bottom of a Cashew tree. The Cashew nuts are hidden at the bottom of a fruit that also grows on that tree and the fruit is known as Caju. The Caju fruit is also known as the cashew apple. This fruit is pear-shaped and is either the color yellow or red.

The tree is native to the coastlines of the northeastern area of Brazil and dates back as far as the sixteenth century when some Portuguese explorers introduced cashew nuts into India and some African countries. Today, the leading producers of cashews are India, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Brazil.

The cashew nuts themselves are kidney-shaped and have a delicate flavor. Putting the cashew nuts into a food processor and processing them into small slivers that can be used on top of salads, pasta, soups, stews, desserts, and some fried dishes.

Cashew is high in calcium and magnesium. Magnesium helps the body in many ways and here are just a few examples: Magnesium helps by giving physical structure to the bones and the bones store some of the extra magnesium on the surface of the bones, so that it can be used whenever the bones need it, helps by regulating the tone of the nerves and muscle, and is a natural calcium channel blocker. A natural calcium channel blocker prevents extra calcium from entering into the nerve cells and activates the nerves. In other words, a calcium channel blocker helps the nerves relax. Although, a lack of daily amounts of calcium can lead to many different problems such as muscle spasms, migraine headaches, and high blood pressure, eating a few servings of cashew a week can solve this problem. The nuts also help to prevent muscle tension, soreness in the body, and fatigue.

The nuts are also rich in copper which helps in the removal of certain harmful free radicals in the body, aids in the utilization of iron, helps in the production of skin and hair pigment, and proper development of bones and the connective tissues. Copper also helps with the body’s energy and acts as an antioxidant defense and helps in the flexibility of blood vessels, joints, and bones. This mineral also helps to prevent brain disturbance, osteoporosis, iron deficiency, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and irregular heartbeat.

Cashews were linked to people gaining weight, but in new studies that were proving to be untrue. People who eat cashews twice a week are less likely to gain weight as compared to the ones who never have eaten cashews in their life.

Cashews are found to be a good source of Vitamin K which prevents blood coagulation.

Butter can be made out of cashews by putting them into a food processor and processing them until they are the consistency of peanut butter.

Cashews are known to be brainpower boosters. They are rich in iron and zinc. Iron helps to deliver oxygen to all your cells in your body which can prevent anemia and zinc is critical to your body’s immune health and vision. It also helps improve memory and protects the brain against age-related memory loss.

health benefits of nuts chestnuts

Chestnuts Benefits

The chestnuts grow on the chestnuts tree which was almost wiped out in the 20th century by the chestnut blight. There are four main types of chestnut trees and they are Castanea Sativa in Europe, C. Dentata in North America, C. Mollissima in China, and C. Crenata in Japan. The chestnut trees are part of the beech or Castanea family. They are located in the hilly forest of China, Japan, Europe, and North America. The chestnut tree is a large deciduous tree that bears both female and male flowers on the same tree.

Once the pollination occurs, the female flowers develop into a large spiky burr or involucres. Each of these burrs has two to three edible kernels. The fruit is quite large and has a smooth, glossy dark brown color on the outer shell. The outer shell is one to one-point-five inches in diameter and weighs somewhere between eight and twelve grams. Inside this shell is a creamy white, sweet, starchy kernel.

Richly flavored chestnuts are popular in the cool season around Christmas when everyone is singing about roasting chestnuts. To roast a chestnut, make small incisions over the dome side of the nut to prevent the nut from bursting. Chestnuts can be used in poultry and stuffing. Chestnut flour is a favorite in many Tuscany receipts such as polenta, sweet bread, biscuit, cakes, soups, and ice cream. Chestnuts can also be made into chestnut buttercream.

Chestnuts are a good source of fiber which helps to lower blood cholesterol levels by removing the excess cholesterol and preventing it from absorbing into the intestines. They are also lower in calories than any other nut.

They are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin C is important to the formation of the matrix in teeth, bones, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is a strong anti-oxidant that offers protection from harmful free radicals. Also, chestnuts have a high quality of protein present.

Also, chestnuts are rich in folates, and food rich in folates during the pre-conception period helps prevent neural tube defects in the fetus.

The chestnuts are rich in many other things as well as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. They are also rich in potassium which helps the counter hypertensive action of sodium, lowers heart rate, and lowers blood pressure. Also, they are rich in the B complex which are niacin, pyridoxine, thiamin, and riboflavin.

A chestnut prevents heart risks, provides the person with energy, low in cholesterol, prevents common colds, and enchants fertility in men because of the high quality of Vitamin C is present.

Other ways to cook with chestnuts are pureeing for soups, making sauces, slicing them onto vegetable dishes, and making desserts such as chestnut mousse.

The fighting property for obesity and gallstones is present in chestnut by having the following minerals. Magnesium ensures healthy bones and teeth, and copper produces energy, and increases the capability of antioxidant defenses. The risk of heart-related disease, diabetes, and obesity is greatly reduced. Chestnuts have been titled a health booster.

health benefits of nuts hazelnuts

Hazelnuts Benefits

Hazelnuts are a sweet flavored nut and they impart richness to chocolate. They lend around nutty flavor to cookies and pies. They are found in Europe and a small part of the United States. Hazelnuts’ history goes back over a thousand years. This is a simple plant to grow and will produce hazelnuts within three or four years after planting. Hazelnuts are hard to plant in this climate.

Coffee or tea that is flavored with hazelnuts is a delicious treat and something to make it more delicious would be to add whipped topping and a handful of slivers of hazelnuts plus a cherry to top the drink off. People who eat at least fifteen hazelnuts a day are forty-seven percent less likely to have a sudden cardiac arrest and thirty percent less likely to die from coronary heart disease.

Many people have used it for different things and call it by different names. The Greeks used it as a tonic or medicine for a host of ailments from the balding of the head to the common cold. German people called hazelnuts “filberts” because they are harvested on August 22 which is St. Philbert’s Day. The Turkish people made hazelnuts growing their business and today they are the world’s largest supplier of hazelnuts. Chinese people claim hazelnuts to be one of the five sacred foods given by God.

Hazelnuts contain high levels of proanthocyanidins and they are more powerful than the Vitamin C and Vitamin E that are found in hazelnuts. Proanthocyanidins are powerful in their ability to fight against free radicals.

Hazelnuts fight against heart disease and the use of hazelnuts in this fight is important as healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. In hazelnuts is an adequate amount of Vitamin B and we receive energy through our consumption of Vitamin B. One of the parts of Vitamin B is called thiamin, which helps to regulate your nervous system and aid healthy muscles and cardiovascular health.

Hazelnuts have thirteen percent of monounsaturated fats per every ounce of serving plus polyunsaturated fat, these two healthy lipids work to reduce bad cholesterol and maintain healthy heart arteries. This promotes a healthy heart by controlling weight management in the body.

Hazelnuts can be used in every aspect of cooking from dessert to snacks to the main dishes at dinner and to drinks like coffee or tea. Well-known German dishes with the use of hazelnuts are hazelnut torte, hazelnut gelato, hazelnut biscotti, and hazelnut butter.

Hazelnuts contain magnesium and calcium which improve two parts of the body. Those two parts are the bones and teeth formation and their density. Magnesium and calcium help to regulate metabolic functions.

Copper is another good mineral that is in hazelnuts and copper protects against some forms of arthritis, slow down the overall aging process, and stimulates brain cell to function properly.

Go and enjoy a cup of coffee. Give your body a break by doing something good for it. Hazelnuts are good for a person’s body for more than one reason.

health benefits of nuts macadamia nuts

Macadamia Benefits

Macadamia nuts originated in Australia and then spread from Latin America to Africa and Asia. Recently, Hawaii is the commercial producer of these nuts while its trees are also found in California and Florida. These are best grown in tropical climates and especially on volcanic soil.

Macadamias can be eaten raw from the shell, drily roasted, or cooked in oil. These nuts are also used in the food products like sauces, cakes, confectionery, ice cream, and casseroles; but due to their high-calorie content, can be used only as a substitute for sources of saturated fats in the diet. An average nut contains 18 calories hence keep an eye on the quantity of its consumption if you are on a low-calorie diet. Adding macadamia nuts on top of a normal diet would only add extra calories and can potentially reverse its benefits.

Over the years, these nuts have been loved for their flavor but avoided because of their fat content. These nuts are also very good for the health of those who are following a low-carbohydrate diet.

Nuts are a rich source of fat, which is generally unhealthy for people suffering from bad cholesterol levels; however, it all depends on the type of fat a nut contains. Macadamia nuts contain a high level of monounsaturated fatty acids like olives but many studies show that monounsaturated fatty acids are very helpful to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Even though macadamia nuts contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, it would be surprising that these nuts like all non-animals food contain no cholesterol which surely helps in minimizing blood cholesterol levels. It seems that if you particularly want to reduce blood cholesterol levels then adding these nuts to your daily diet may prove to be a good addition.

Oil of macadamia nuts is also used in the cosmetic industry because it helps healthy cell formation in the development of both internal tissues and skin.

Research suggests that these nuts are an organic resource of protein, fiber, and energy. As part of a balanced diet, they can also help control your weight by satisfying your hunger for a longer time. Dietary fiber helps by promoting slow digestion, reducing hunger, desirable intestinal bacteria, and also relieving constipation. Macadamias are lower in protein than other nut snacks but can add more protein to meals such as salads that lack amino acid content. Protein helps in muscle function and maintenance.

Macadamia nuts contain antioxidants (vitamin A and vitamin E) which help to remove free radicals from the body. Vitamin A, which is an important eye vitamin, helps to prevent cataracts and other eye diseases of a similar kind. Vitamin E prevents a heart attack by protecting the arteries from damage and also reduces the chances of other heart diseases.

Macadamias are a good source of a range of minerals named Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Calcium. They also contain significant levels of Zinc, Copper, and Selenium with very low Sodium. Potassium helps improve low blood sugar conditions, supports kidneys, avoids heart problems, boosts muscle strength, enhances brain function, and improves metabolism. Another function of Potassium found in these nuts is regulating the nervous system and water retention in your body. Researchers also found an abundant source of manganese in macadamia nuts. This important mineral is largely involved in metabolic functions and the healthy formation of bones.

health benefits of nuts peanuts

Peanuts Benefits

Peanuts are crunchy and truly delicious nuts that belong to the legume family (members of the bean and pea family). These are not tree nuts like pecans, almonds, and walnuts rather are grown underground and hence also called ground nuts or earth nuts. Peanuts are typically sold in both forms, either shelled or unshelled; consumed raw, roasted, or a valuable ingredient in many meals and sweets and almost everywhere in the world. Peanuts are among those nuts which are consumed more than that other famous nuts like walnuts and almonds.

These nuts are rich in dietary fiber and also have good quantities of carbohydrates; which include Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Nuts generally and groundnuts in specific are a good source of dietary protein which again is an essential nutrient for the growth and development of our body. Eating these earth nuts balances the blood sugar levels and especially when eaten in small amounts daily, it is useful in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases described in more detail below.

Peanut oil has oleic acid just as those are also present in olive oil, which is rich in antioxidant properties. Its antioxidant properties are similar to those of pomegranates. These properties are boosted when peanuts are consumed in a roasted form. Not only do these nuts help to reduce the risk of heart diseases but are also helpful in preventing cancer and diabetes; mainly due to those antioxidant properties present in them. Peanut oil is also used in medicines for different skin disorders, treating heart problems, and constipation relief solutions. Also, it is used in different ointments preparation as well as for the treatment of joint pain in massage therapy.

These are also good sources of Resveratrol which is a flavonoid present in red grapes. It is studied to improve the blood flow towards the human brain which again is a helpful act in reducing the risk of strokes.

Peanuts are also a rich source of many types of minerals mainly Copper, Manganese, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, and Selenium. These minerals are required for the following functions in our body.

  • Production of red blood cells
  • Normal body growth and its health.
  • Performing chemical actions on fats, carbohydrates, and proteins to break these down and produce energy for our daily routine.
  • Maintaining body fluids and cells that help in keeping heart rates in check and blood pressure.
  • Maintaining strong and healthy teeth.
  • Ensuring that our bones also remain strong and healthy.
  • Formation of red blood cells in our body.
  • Proper functioning of the human body and its organs.
  • Healthy white blood cells fight infections in the body

Peanuts also contain Arginine, which is a type of amino acid in our body that can help in conditions like congestive heart failure, erectile dysfunction, many types of upper respiratory disorder, and especially type II diabetes. Over the years, they have also been used in many medicines that prevent blood clotting as well as anti-inflammatory agents.

These nuts are a great reservoir of Vitamin E which is a powerful and commonly known antioxidant that helps the integrity of our skin cell membranes by protecting them from harmful radicals (mainly oxygen free radicals). They are a good source of Vitamin B-complex particularly niacin, which contributes to brain health and blood flow. Research studies on women showed that adding peanuts to our diet either in raw, roasted forms or in the form of peanut butter on regular basis results in lowering the chance of gallstones.

Allergy information: Peanuts can cause allergies to those people who are suffering from asthma and hay fever.

health benefits of nuts pecans

Pecans Benefits

Pecans are considered to be the only nut tree that grows naturally in North America and is also considered to be the most valuable nut species in the same region. Pecan is a native American word given to all the nuts that are generally thought to crack with help of a stone (or tools producing similar force). While pecans were readily available in America and Mexico, many native tribes used pecans as their major source of food during the autumn season.

Pecans are sold in markets in a variety of sizes (extra-large, large, medium, and small) and in different forms (classified mainly as wholes, halves, pieces, granules, and in some cases as meal items).

Researchers and doctors have made many suggestions to add pecans to our daily diet plans and claim that these have an important role in protecting the nervous system from many health conditions. Eating these nuts each day may delay the degeneration of motor neurons related to the aging process.

Pecans are considered to be among the top category of foods as well as are ranked high among nuts due to their great capacity for antioxidants. Naturally occurring antioxidants found in these nuts, especially vitamin E, may play a key role in the protection of the neurological system. Antioxidants are counted as important nutrients in food and especially in nuts as they help provide protection from cell damage, help fight cancer, and may prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Pecans have fats that are approximately 60 percent monounsaturated and about 30 percent polyunsaturated, meaning that saturated fats are present only in a very little amount. The unsaturated fat in these nuts is healthy for our heart and is treated as fat produced from healthy sources (mainly fish, nuts, and vegetable oils).

Pecans are also very helpful to maintain lower and healthy cholesterol levels in our bodies. Research works performed on individuals with a high level of cholesterol, where they were provided a pecan-enriched diet, showed that eating such an enriched diet controlled and lowered the total cholesterol in the body significantly and without any weight gain. Research also established that these nuts contain plant sterols which are famous for lowering cholesterol levels in our body. Scientific and medical evidence suggests that eating a balanced quantity of most nuts like pecans as a diet in combination with low saturated fats and low cholesterol may prove to be very useful in reducing the risks of heart attacks and similar diseases.

Pecan nuts may also help in achieving weight loss and maintaining the results for the long term as nuts consumption may boost our metabolism rates. Typically a serving as small as one ounce of these nuts contains approximately 196 calories, just above 20 grams of total fat, almost about 3 grams of dietary fiber (which is roughly 10% of GDA recommendations), and many minerals and vitamins (over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and zinc) while having no amount of cholesterol and sodium at all. These are also proven to be a rich and healthy source of oleic acid, vitamin B1, thiamin, magnesium, and protein like most other nuts.

These nuts are also a natural, good-quality source of protein containing very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol. These are also a great choice of food for people on salt and sodium-restricted diet. Those who are on a vegetarian diet will find out that these nuts are providing them with a good alternative method to consume proteins. Moreover, research studies also suggest that these nuts can also help in preventing breast cancer, a very common form of cancer in women.

health benefits of nuts pistachios

Pistachios Benefits

While these nuts have many health benefits the most amazing thing about Pistachio nuts is the great taste that makes them a great choice for flavorings in cakes, ice creams, and a huge number of sweet dishes. These nuts are much smaller in size (in relative terms) but have a strong flavor and are covered with a shell that is not that hard (again if we compare to pecan nut; for instance) and can be broken easily by hand.

Pistachios are rich in energy almost as good as they are rich in taste too. A typical 100 grams of these nuts contain slightly over 555 calories, compare it to that of pecan for example, and one would say ‘it’s massive, as it is almost 3 folds higher than that of pecans. Nonetheless, this special kind of nut to has important nutrients, compounds, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy fats which help to support and assist body functions properly; just like almost all nuts contain these in one form or another. If you imagine people preferring these nuts as snacks for tea time or small meals instead of eating a lot of junk food; for sure hospitals and medical clinics would be a quiet place in those imaginations.

Focusing back on the contents and benefits of these nuts, studies show that pistachio nuts contain a good amount of oleic acid and antioxidants. Thus, are very effective to decrease LDL cholesterol, controlling its migration of it into the walls of blood vessels, and increasing good HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. You can achieve all of these benefits if you eat pistachios regularly on daily basis as part of your diet. Research studies also proved that the diet, which contains dietary fiber, fatty acids, and antioxidants in a rich quantity, is very helpful to prevent artery diseases, heart diseases, and strokes with the support of healthy blood lipids.

It is also known that Pistachio nuts provide a rich source of substances like phytochemicals which also contain carotenes, vitamin E, and other antioxidant compounds. All of these elements protect our body cells from harmful chemicals called radicals. It has also been proved by research studies that these antioxidant activities help the body to remove toxic oxygen and free radicals which then protect the body from many diseases including but not limited to cancer and other infections. Pistachios are enriched with vitamin E, which is powerful, and among the most important antioxidants, to keep the integrity of cell membranes intact and also protect our skin from possible damage from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

These nuts are also found in a family of many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and vitamin B-6. Research studies have suggested that the pistachios are packed with a family of B-complex groups of vitamins which are beneficial for health and the human body. These nuts are an excellent source of providing minerals such as copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium. Iron and copper are found in significant quantities in pistachio nuts. A typical 100 grams of these nuts equals 144% of the required copper as per the daily recommended level of copper. Copper is needed in keeping metabolism rates at a good level and also for red blood cell synthesis making it an essential mineral for the human body.

The oil of pistachio nuts is also beneficial for our body and health mainly because of the nutrients it contains. It helps to protect the skin by keeping the moisture levels up and hence avoiding it from becoming dry. Traditionally, pistachio nut oil has been used, over the years, in cooking as well as in traditional medicines for aromatherapy, massage therapy, and in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Research programs, where people were provided with a diet of pistachio for four weeks, provided resulted in no weight gain and also reduced the risk levels for heart diseases. The studies also proved that daily intake of pistachios helps treat cardiovascular disease and the blood lipid levels were improved after the four weeks of the diet plan.

Consumption of just about a hand full of pistachios in your daily diet will not only provide you with enough quantity of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein as per recommended values for a healthy body but will also provide a great taste in your mouth.

health benefits of nuts walnuts

Walnut Benefits

Walnut trees have been cultivated for thousands of years in different parts of the world and have many types from varying origins. The walnut tree originated in India and the Caspian Sea regions, while North Americans cultivate black and white walnuts in recent times. At present, China is the largest commercial producer of walnuts in the world.

In Oriental and Chinese medicines, these are used for treating frequent urination, constipation, knee pains, cough, and asthma in the form of internal use. Walnuts are also used in external application medicines for problems like hair loss, acne treatment, and dandruff and skin inflammations. It is also used as an ingredient in a variety of foods and other medications.

Walnuts have plenty of monounsaturated fats and the maximum of this is oleic acid, which is an Omega-3 and Omega 9 fatty acid helpful in keeping the heart healthy. The ratio of omega 3 in walnuts is much more than in any other available nuts. The function of Omega-3 in our body is to prevent arteries from blockage, keep them soft and flexible, and increase blood flow to the heart and body. Its oil is useful in avoiding a joint disease called arthritis and has been used commonly. Due to the available fatty acids and antioxidants, the risk of breast cancer development is much reduced.

Walnuts are an important resource for getting antioxidants, especially Ellagic acid which is found in kernels. Ellagic acid helps in defeating that dangerous substance in our body that causes cancer. It also prevents the production of cancerous cells. In addition to the antioxidant activity, plenty of polyphenols support the immune system.

Walnuts are a great reservoir of nutrients including protein, vitamin E, vitamin B, and fiber. As a source of dietary fiber, walnuts maintain the digestive system and protein helps in building muscles. Walnuts also have many minerals just like all other nuts too have these in different ratios. These minerals include manganese, copper, phosphorous, zinc, calcium, and Iron. Walnuts protect against memory loss.

Magnesium has an important role in muscle contraction and relaxation and energy production. Phosphorus boosts the kidneys’ function and controls the regular heartbeat. Potassium is also needed in building muscle. Zinc is needed by the immune system and copper manages nerves and the immune system and keeps bones healthy. Manganese regulates the blood sugar level and Selenium prevents cell damage.

Researchers and doctors recommended adding walnuts into our daily diet to help avoid breast cancer.  Eating walnuts regularly helps improve heart health and maintains sexual vitality in men. Walnuts help reduce bad cholesterol levels.

Walnut oil when mixed with olive oil provides a good solution for healthy, shiny hairs. Almonds are also very good for keeping skin freshness alive because the presence of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, E, and niacin keeps skin away from radicals; hence slowing down the aging process in the skin and body.

JeffN

Amna Sheikh is a medical doctor with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelors in Economics and Statistics.  She is also a medical writer working as a freelancer for 10+ years and she is specialized in medical, health, and pharmaceutical writing, regulatory writing & clinical research. All her work is supported by a strong academic and professional experience.
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