Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Top 8 Healthy Nuts for Health Nuts

If you are not including nuts as a snack then it is time to start taking them as they contain nutrients that fight diseases, offer protection to your heart and your brainpower also gets a boost.
Snacking on nuts has always been underrated. Not enough of us eat nuts on a regular basis. It could be that people are concerned about the calories and fat contained in nuts or they just don’t like them. One small handful of nuts provides fibre, protein, essential minerals and vitamins and unsaturated fats which all contribute to a healthy diet.

Walnuts

Walnuts are excellent in fighting inflammation and contain the highest level of antioxidants in comparison to all the other nuts and are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids. These nuts help to fight damage to cells that may contribute to premature aging, cancer and heart disease. If you are not too keen on eating fish then eat walnuts as they are high in the healthy unsaturated fats. The manganese that is contained in walnuts may also help in reducing the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome. If you were to eat approximately fourteen walnut halves this would contain approximately18gms of fat and 185 calories.

Almonds

Almonds are very high in fibre, about 3 grams are present in every ounce, this is high in comparison to other nuts. They are also rich in vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant. Eating almonds may also help in weight loss as a study has shown that two groups of adults who were obese and were following a low calorie diet for 6 months. The group that were including almonds in their diet lost more weight than the others who were eating more carbohydrates. Another study has shown that eating almonds also helps people who are worried about their levels of blood sugar. The group who ate approximately 20% of their calorie intake from almonds for about 4 months saw the LDL (bad) cholesterol reduce and their resistance to insulin reduce. This was in comparison to the other group who did not eat almonds. Eating almonds may raise the good bacteria in the gut which in turns helps to build the immune system of the body. Eating 23 almonds contains about 170 calories and 15gms of fat.

Cashews

Cashews are rich in zinc and iron. Zinc is essential to maintaining healthy vision and building the immune system. Iron is required in the delivery of oxygen to all the cells and can prevent anaemia. These nuts are a good source of magnesium too, and 1oz provides 25% of our daily need and magnesium may offer protection against loss of memory which is related to our age and some studies indicate that taking extra magnesium may even improve our memory. If you were to eat 18 cashew nuts this would contain 13gms of fat and 165 calories.

Pecans

Eating pecan nuts may help to improve the health of your heart as they may aid in the prevention of plaque forming in the arteries. Pecan nuts are high in antioxidants. A study has found that eating pecans can help in lowering the LDL levels of cholesterol by approximately 33%. These nuts may also help to protect the health of the brain. The vitamin E that is found in pecans may delay degenerative neurological diseases progressing, such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. So although these nuts are associated with delicious pies they also have excellent health benefits and eating 18 halves of pecans has 200 calories and 21gms of fat.

Brazil Nuts

Eating one Brazil nut contains over 100%of the recommended daily value for selenium. This mineral may reduce the risk of particular cancers from developing such as breast, prostate and bone cancer. A recent study carried out found that the selenium content in the Brazil nuts and soy may reduce the risk of prostate cancer as they inhibited the growth of the cancerous cells. But don’t eat too many Brazil nuts as too much selenium can cause harm so it’s best to have one daily serving of 6 nuts that will contain 18gms of fat and 185 calories.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are calorie dense but they do contain the highest level of monounsaturated fats per one serving. This is classed as a good fat and reduces the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol and also reduces blood pressure. A study has shown that by adding macadamia nuts to your diet the triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol are reduced by approximately 10%. Eating 10 macadamia nuts contains 200 calories and 22gms of fat.

Pistachios

Pistachios contain less than 4 calories in each nut. Eating them in the shell makes you slow down your munching meaning that the eating experience lasts for longer and you tend to eat less. Studies have shown that eating approximately 2oz of pistachio nuts on a daily basis may help you to breathe easier and may also reduce the risk of lung cancer. These nuts contain an antioxidant called gama-tocopherol which is a form of vitamin E used in the fight against cancer. Pistachio nuts also contain potassium which is an essential mineral to maintain muscles and to keep the nervous system healthy. They also contain vitamin B6 which is excellent in strengthening theimmune system and also lifting your mood. Eating 50 pistachio nuts has about 160 calories and 14gms of fat.

Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are high in monounsaturated fats that help to improve the health of your cardiovascular system.These nuts may also be used to help in the management of type 2 diabetes. They are rich in vitamin E which is an antioxidant that may reduce the development of cataracts. This antioxidant may also prevent the risk of dementia and macular degeneration. Vitamin E is also essential in maintaininghealthy skin. Twenty one hazelnuts contain 180 calories and 17gms of fat.