Nuts health benefits includes supporting heart health, helps deal with type 2 diabetes, support liver health, promote weight loss, provides needed nutrients, helps fight metabolic syndrome, helps fight inflammation, helps prevent diseases, enhances the skin, and support skeletal health.
Nature likes to pack nuts in hard shells. Some of most popular nuts are Brazil Nuts, Peanuts, Pecan, Pine Nuts, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Almond, Pistachios, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, and Cashew Nut. Not only are they delicious but also enriched with many nutrients that your body needs. A handful of nuts every day can meet most of your nutritional needs. All you need to do is pay some attention to the types of nuts and the kind of nutrition they pack. They are a common ingredient for trail mixes as they can provide you with instant energy and loads of nutrients.
Nutrition Facts of Nuts
An ounce 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
There are numerous types of nuts out there, all having their own sets of benefits and uses. You can gain all these benefits by adding a handful of nuts to your routine. These delicious gifts from nature are a blessing you should not miss. Unless you have allergies, then you can skip eating them.
13 Amazing Health Benefits of Nuts
1. Good for Your Heart
Nuts can protect you against various heart diseases and even a stroke. The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing properties can make sure that our blood vessels and arteries do not harden. When that happens, it puts a lot of strain on your heart, increases your blood pressure and may even lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Moreover, they are rich in good fats and decrease the levels of bad LDL in your body, leading to a healthier heart and a healthier life.
2. Helps Deal with Type II Diabetes
Type-2 diabetes is a common problem these days with millions of people suffering from it around the world. Nuts are high in calories but do not have a lot of carbs which make them the perfect substitute for high carb foods. They do not raise the blood sugar levels while other nutrients in them protect the body against the adverse effects of oxidization and inflammation.
3. Help in Dealing with Oxidative Stress
Free radicals form as a result of the various chemical reactions that take place in our body. If these free radicals are not taken care of on time, they may react with cell or DNA molecules and cause serious problems like cancer. The anti-oxidants in various nuts react with these free radicals and stop the chain reaction that can cause damage to the body.
4. Helps You Live Longer
Nuts are no youth fountains but they can help you live longer by taking care of your overall health. The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in various nuts along with their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing properties make sure that you are protected against various diseases that may attack from the outside. They also ensure sure that your body is fortified against the chemical reactions that are happening inside it as well.
5. Aids in Weight Loss
Nuts do contain a lot of calories, but these are packed with nutrients that your body actually needs, which is why the body would not store them like carbohydrates. Many people who go on diets use nuts as snacks because they provide a lot of energy and make sure while also giving the body a lot of healthy nutrients.
6. Loaded with Nutrients
All nuts have their own separate amounts of nutrients, for example, a single brazil nut can provide us with more than 100 percent selenium RDI (Reference Daily Intake). Moreover, they are low on carbs but high in good fats, vitamin E and other minerals. To make sure you get what you need, you may have to do a little research on different nuts and their nutrition content.
7. Helps Fight Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome may refer to a number of physiological and biochemical abnormalities that may lead to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. With anti-inflammatory and antioxidizing properties of certain nuts, you can protect yourself against these diseases.
8. Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Inflammation is your body’s natural reaction to viruses, infections, and pathogens but there are times when inflammation occurs where it shouldn’t and cause chronic illnesses like arthritis. It can also cause damage to your organs and increase the risk of getting other diseases. Many contain anti-inflammatory properties that can help you prevent various diseases and even deal with the symptoms of arthritis; amongst them are peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans.
9. Help Prevent Diseases
In a review based on 23 studies that had a total of 800,000 participants, it was concluded that people who consumed about 20 grams of nuts every day lowered their risks of developing quite a few diseases. For example, the risk of heart disease lowered by 30 percent, while the risk of cancer decreased by 22 percent and the risk of developing diabetes was reduced by 40 percent.
10. Provide Healthy Fats
Most nuts contain unsaturated fats along with proteins and other healthy substances. These omega-3 rich fruits lower bad LDL while balancing it out with good cholesterol.
11. Good for Your Skin
The vitamin B in walnuts along with its anti-inflammatory properties makes it a very good contender against premature aging and fine lines. While the essential fatty acids, protein, and fiber in almonds keep the skin hydrated and protected against bacteria that cause acne, dark spots, and eczema. Meanwhile, zinc in cashews promotes cell growth and healing in skin.
12. Good for Skeletal Health
Your bones are the storehouse of all the calcium that your body needs. Not only does it support your body but also helps you perform the most basic of tasks. Therefore, it is important that you keep a close eye on your skeletal health. There are a few nuts that can increase your bone density and even help manage osteoporosis. Amongst them are the tree nuts, almonds. A hundred grams of almonds can provide you with 26 percent of your daily calcium requirement. They also contain vitamin E, fiber, and manganese that ensure a healthy lifestyle.
13. Good for Your Hair
Nuts that contain protein and zinc in a high amount are really good for long silky hair. Some of these nuts include walnuts that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and brazil nuts that are packed with selenium, which promotes a healthy scalp. It is also a good way of preventing hair loss. It also makes hair strong and beautiful without the costly bottles of hair products that you never really finish.
Conclusion
Most nuts are good for your health and may even protect you against various diseases, but there are special cases where a nut does wonders for some people but causes discomfort to others. To avoid any issues, contact your doctor and have a little discussion on what you can or cannot include in your diet.