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Nuts Improve Diet, Nutrition & Health

Posted by Lynda on April 20th, 2012 (Diet, Good Foods, Nutrition)

Eat a small handful of nuts daily to improve diet, nutrition and health.

A study published this month in the American journal of Nutrition Research has shown once again what dietitians have been saying for years – that eating a small handful of nuts daily is extremely beneficial to diet, nutrition and health. Although the results are not breaking news, what is interesting about this study is the large number of people taking part – 24,385 in total, between the ages of 2 and 60 plus.

The researchers found that adults who ate tree nuts had a 19% decreased risk of high blood pressure and a 21% decreased risk of high cholesterol.  All the nut eaters had higher intakes of energy, dietary fibre and the good fats in their diet – the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  They also had lower intakes of carbohydrates, cholesterol and sodium than those who didn’t eat nuts.

The same authors also published results of another study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition which showed that tree nut consumers aged 19 upwards have lower body weight, lower BMI and a smaller waist circumference than non-nut eaters. The average body weight, BMI, and waist circumference was 1.9 kg, 0.9kg/m2 and 2 centimetres lower in people who ate nuts.

So there it is folks; start adding a small handful of nuts to your diet every day to boost your diet, nutrition and health.  Sprinkle them on salads, on top of your muesli or over yoghurt and fruit. Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Peanuts are actually a legume so do not fall into the category of tree nuts.

Always buy nuts in their natural state, which have not been salted or roasted. Just remember that nuts are high in fat and although it is good fat, as with anything – moderation is key. A small handful daily is sufficient to reap the benefits of nature’s health boosting power houses.

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