6 HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING NUTS

What Are Nuts?

Nuts are technically considered a fruit. However, unlike most types of fruit, they aren’t sweet and are high in fat

They contain a hard, inedible outer shell that usually needs to be cracked open to release the fruit inside.

Nuts are a very popular food.

They’re tasty, convenient and can be enjoyed on all kinds of diets 

Despite being high in fat, they also have a number of impressive benefits for your health (and weight).

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

• Almonds 
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Pine nuts
• Pistachios
• Walnuts

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

Now let’s look at the top 6 health benefits of eating nuts.

1. Nuts Are a Great Source of Many Nutrients

Nuts are highly nutritious. One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains:

• Calories: 173
• Protein: 5 grams
• Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
• Carbs: 6 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
• Copper: 23% of the RDI
• Manganese: 26% of the RDI
• Selenium: 56% of the RDI

Some nuts have higher amounts of certain nutrients than others. For instance, just one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the RDI for selenium.

The carbohydrate content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts have less than 2 grams of digestible carbohydrate per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbohydrate per serving.

That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.

2. Nuts Are Loaded With Antioxidants

Nuts are an antioxidant powerhouse.

Antioxidants help control free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced as a normal part of metabolism. Free radical production increases in response to heavy sun exposure, stress, pollution and other causes.

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

The antioxidants in plant foods, including the polyphenols found in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals so they can’t harm your cells.

3. Nuts Can Help You Lose Weight

Although they’re considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts may actually help you lose weight 

Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain in What’s more, even though the calorie counts listed for.

Nuts are quite high, studies have shown that your body doesn’t absorb all of them. This is because a portion of fat stays trapped within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion controlled studies. 

4. Nuts Can Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts is believed to be 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 HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. One study found that ground, sliced or whole hazelnuts had similar beneficial effects on cholesterol

5. Nuts Are Beneficial for Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Type 2 diabetes is a common disease that affects hundreds of millions of people.

Having a condition called metabolic syndrome is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes.

Interestingly, nuts may be one of the best foods for people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

First off, they are low in carbs and don’t raise blood sugar levels much. Substituting nuts for higher-carb foods should lead to reduced blood sugar levels. 

6. Nuts Can Help Reduce Inflammation

Nuts have strong anti-inflammatory properties. 

Inflammation is your body’s way of defending itself from injury, as well as 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.

Specific nuts have been found to fight inflammation in healthy people and those with serious diseases. These include pistachios, Brazil nuts, walnuts and almonds.