Health benefits of nuts

The nuts They are that food that, despite being high in calories, always receive favorable reviews from nutritionists, the reason being their healthy fat profile. It must be remembered that the walnuts, almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts They are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol, and contain less saturated fat, which increases cholesterol. And that’s not all, nuts also contain dietary fiber, vegetable proteins, vitamin E and potassium, calcium and magnesium. Among the most common nuts are walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews and Brazil nuts. But, despite being healthy foods, ¿ANDAre there limitations? What happens if they are consumed in excess? Do they all have the same properties and benefits?

It is also known that nuts have numerous benefits, especially for the heart, but how many nuts do you have to consume for this? with a handful a day would dobut the number of servings depends on the nut, for example, you will have more small pistachios than halves of large nuts.

Benefits of eating nuts

• Mbetter cardiovascular health: Nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-6, which help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which helps maintain arteries. clean and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, they contain antioxidants such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative damage. Additionally, nuts can help lower systolic blood pressure and reduce inflammatory markers in the body while controlling cholesterol. Therefore, nuts and dried fruits in general can help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart disease.
• Boosts immunity to fight various types of diseases: Nuts are loaded with essential nutrients that are a rich source of iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and folic acid. Additionally, antioxidants can help boost immunity, while ensuring good health and freedom from diseases and illnesses. Therefore, the habit of consuming nuts daily can help prevent certain diseases. If you are talking about diabetes, it is advisable to consume pistachios, cashews, or even pecan nuts, since these act as regulators of blood glucose levels. On the other hand, pecan nuts also contribute to reducing the risk of suffering from chronic diseases. For their part, macadamia nuts, They are favorable for cardiovascular health, since their monounsaturated fat acts as a substitute for saturated fats. There are also nuts recommended for skin care, such as cashews or peanuts..
• Mbetter metabolic health: Its consumption has been associated with better regulation of blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or at risk of developing it. It must be remembered that nuts have a low glycemic index and their fiber slows down digestion, helping to prevent glucose spikes.
• They increase hemoglobin and combat anemia: Pistachios and walnuts are a rich source of iron and, therefore, are essential for anemic people. The reason is that they have essential nutrients such as vitamin B, unsaturated fats and minerals such as copper and phosphorus in nuts. It helps stimulate hemoglobin and blood cell regeneration in the body. Stamina and energy are increased with cashews, pistachios, figs and almonds.
• Bone health: Bone formation, health and density are improved with regular intake of dried plums. Thus, the bones become stronger and at the same time protect them from excessive wear and tear.
• eye careto: The high content of healthy fats in nuts makes them strengthen eyesight. For example, pistachios have a high carotene content that helps protect eyesight and reduce the risk of eye degeneration or the appearance of cataracts.
• They help combat anxiety and depression: Nuts contain beta-carotene, an essential antioxidant to help fight depression and anxiety.
• Improve memory and sleep: It also helps to increase memory power. And, when consumed daily, they promote better sleep while improving children’s performance and learning.
• cweight control: Although they are calorically dense, some studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts is not associated with weight gain. This is because they are highly satiating, which helps reduce total food intake. It is fiber and protein that contribute to this feeling of satiety. Nuts and dried fruits can benefit weight loss, however, they should be consumed in moderation. We must not forget that they have less sugar, fat and provide more essential nutrients, which guarantees a proper metabolism.
• TOhelp to achieve a healthy gut: Nuts, including prunes, are known to have both insoluble and soluble fibers. They help improve digestion while keeping the intestine and stomach healthy. Soluble fibers tend to act as probiotics, thus maintaining essential good bacteria. But in addition, walnuts and almonds have laxative properties that promote a happy intestine.
• Fight constipation: It is known that some nuts, such as figs and plums, are a rich source of fiber. Additionally, fiber allows the body to smoothly remove waste from the body. There are also other types of fibrous nuts such as dried apricots, raisins, dates and pistachios that can increase the flexibility of the intestine and therefore relieve constipation problems.
• They have anti-aging propertieseither: Nuts offer countless benefits to the skin, making it glow and radiant while helping to control aging. Pistachios and almonds can remove dead skin cells, while walnuts when consumed regularly, prevent dry skin.
• Pregnancy: Almonds are characterized by their benefits during pregnancy. Its high calcium and magnesium content makes this nut work as a breast milk stimulant. On the other hand, sunflower seeds help prevent problems during pregnancy. This dried fruit is rich in folic acid, which contributes to the creation of genetic material.

Which nuts are the most caloric and which are the least?

In general, The caloric intake of the nut is quite high (around 600Kcal/100g on average) and varies very little between them, ranging between 570 kcal (raw peanuts) to 680 kcal (pine nuts). Although there is one variety that stands out above the rest for being the least caloric by far: this is the chestnut with only 175 kcal/100g, the reason is that it has a higher water content (51%) and carbohydrates ( 36%) providing very little fat (2%).

A handful every day

Its intake must be cautious, therefore, it can be consider a ration of between 20 and 30 grams per day adequate, which practically means a small handful. The reason is that they are foods with a high caloric intake andAn excess can contribute to the increase in body weight if there is no balance between its intake and the energy expenditure of each person in relation to physical activity.. However, this does not mean that nuts must be eliminated from the diet even if one is in the process of reducing fat mass, but rather that they must be consumed in moderation.