What exactly is a nut? A nut may be defined as a fruit featuring a hard or tough shell protecting an edible kernel. The healthy nutrition benefits of nuts are truly remarkable, as we’ll highlight later in this article.
Examples of nuts include:
● Almonds
● Cashews
● Hazelnuts
● Brazil nuts
● Pecans
● Pine nuts
● Macadamia nuts
● Walnuts
● Pistachio nuts
What is the wonderful nutritional content of nuts?
The wonderful nutritional benefits of nuts are shown by the fact that they are an abundant source of:
● Protein
● Healthy monounsaturated fats
● Soluble fibre (see below)
● Vitamins – especially vitamin E
● Minerals – magnesium, phosphorous, copper, manganese and selenium
What are the additional healthy nutrition features of nuts?
The additional natural health benefits of nuts are numerous and include:
● Containing powerful antioxidants – these include polyphenols which act by neutralising free radicals which cause oxidative stress leading to cellular damage and ultimately disease processes
● Lowering blood cholesterol – The ability of nuts to achieve this is considered to be due to their relatively high content of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids which raise “good” HDL cholesterol and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol-
● Preventing and improving type 2 diabetes – nuts act in this manner by reducing blood sugar levels, lowering oxidative stress and lowering blood pressure
● Reducing heart attack and stroke risk – through the action of nuts in reducing blood cholesterol levels, reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol particle size and reducing inflammation.
● Reducing inflammation – nuts incorporate defined anti-inflammatory properties – this is useful for tackling harmful long-term chronic inflammation which may lead to organ damage and increased risk of disease.
● Contain high levels of soluble fibre – this provides numerous health benefits. Beneficial bacteria within the gut digest fibre – which acts as a prebiotic. As a result, healthy short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are fermented – studies have shown these to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
As you can see, this wonderful natural food can be a wonderful and effective weapon in your arsenal to fight off the need to even consider the toxic products of Big Pharma!
Nuts are a wonderfully versatile food that may be kept at room temperature – to keep for longer they refrigerate and freeze well.
Nuts may be enjoyed by themselves, chopped as a delicious addition to meals or even as butters. Be sure to eat them raw or lightly toasted for maximise the nutritional benefits of nuts.
Be sure to look out for future posts on the healthy nutrition of nuts of differing types and for vegan recipes featuring this wonderful food.
Please feel free to leave a comment on this article and please share this with anyone you know who may be interested.
“BE TRULY FREE – BE PHARMA FREE”