BENEFITS OF NUTS

NUTS

What are nuts?

The nuts are technically considered a fruit. However, unlike most types of fruit, they are not sweet and have a high fat content.

They have a hard, inedible external shell that usually to open the nut you need to break the shell to get the fruit inside.

Fortunately, most nuts can be bought in the store "without shell" in such a way that it is more comfortable to eat them.

Here is a list of some of the most commonly consumed nuts

Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashew nuts
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecan nuts
Pinions
Pistachios
Nuts

Although peanuts are technically legumes such as peas and beans, they are often referred to as nuts because they have similar profiles and nutritional characteristics.

1. Nuts are a great source of many nutrients.

The nuts are very nutritious. One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains approximately:
Some nuts have higher amounts of certain nutrients than others. For example, only one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the selenium IDR.

The carbohydrate content of nuts is very variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts have at least 2 grams of digestible carbohydrates per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbohydrates per serving.

That said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low carbohydrate diet

2. The nuts are loaded with antioxidants.

Nuts are major sources of antioxidants.

Antioxidants help control free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced as a normal part of metabolism. The production of free radicals increases when you are under strong exposure to the sun, stress, pollution and other causes.

Although free radicals can play a beneficial role in the immune response, having too many can lead to cell damage. When the level of free radicals is too high, the body is said to be in a state of oxidative stress, which increases the risk of disease.

Antioxidants in plant foods, including the polyphenols found in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals so they can not damage your cells.

3. Nuts help you lose weight.

Although nuts are considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts can actually help you lose weight.

A large study called the PREDIMED study (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) evaluated the effects of the Mediterranean diet.

The analysis of the data in a subgroup of the study found that those assigned to eat nuts lost an average of 5 cm (2 inches) in their waists, which is significantly more than those assigned to ingest olive oil.

It has been shown in controlled studies that almonds promote weight loss instead of weight gain. One study found that pistachios can also be useful for weight loss.

In a study of overweight women, those who consumed almonds lost almost three times more weight and experienced a significantly greater decrease in waist size compared to the control group.

4. Nuts can lower cholesterol and triglycerides

Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

It has been shown that pistachios tend to lower the level of triglycerides more in obese and diabetic people. In a 12-week study, obese people who ate pistachios had triglycerides that were almost 33% lower than the control group.

It is believed that the cholesterol lowering power of nuts is due in part to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Almonds and hazelnuts appear to reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while increasing the levels of LAD (high density lipoprotein) or "good" cholesterol. One study found that ground, sliced ​​or whole hazelnuts had similar beneficial effects on cholesterol.