 | March Feature
Nuts About You! |
Who would have thought these high calorie, fat laden foods are so healthful. We should still eat them in moderation, but some research is showing that almonds may actually help with weight loss. They also help you to eat a diet richer in nutrients and lower in saturated fat. All in all the help fight disease.
Nuts keep your heart healthy. Five large human studies showed this:
- Substituting a portion of nuts for a portion of carbohydrate results in 30% less risk of heart disease.
- Substituting nuts for saturated fat results in 45% less risk of heart disease.
Portion of nuts = 10-15 nuts Portion of carbohydrate = ½ cup pasta or 1 slice bread
Saturated fat is in butter and animal protein (1 tsp butter = 1 portion)
Almonds and walnuts may be most effective in lowering cholesterol, but there are many things in nuts that may be protecting us from more than heart diseases. Fiber, Vitamin E, Alpha-linolenic acid, Omega-3s, magnesium, potassium and arginine all play a roll in health and are found in a variety of nuts.
Weight loss: A small study of 65 people showed that a low calorie diet with almonds resulted in greater weight loss. Both groups lost weight, but the almond group lost 7% more weight. They also lost 10% more body fat and had a 5% greater reduction in their waist line according to the study.
Gallstones: Women who eat at least 1 ounce of nuts, peanuts, or peanutbutter each week have a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones. People with oxalate kidney stones should avoid almonds and peanuts, as these increase urinary oxalate excretion.
Alzheimer's Disease: According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (February 11th 2005), intake of Vitamin E from food sources, rather than from supplements, is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's Disease. More and different types of research is warranted according to the authors of the study. Almonds are a good source of Vit. E.
The bottom line is eating 10-15 nuts daily is a good idea!
Here is a list of nuts ranked by their nutrient density.
Unscramble the letters to find out what they are:
Alison R. Fernald, RD, LD
