Most of us know the proverb, “an apple a day keeps a doctor away”. However, there is a lot of other healthy foods that should be included in your diet.
Daily consumption of nuts has a lot of benefits as well.
Commonly consumed nuts include almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. Peanuts are officially not a nut, but a bean crop, but in its nutritional composition it is very close to nuts, therefore they are often referred to this category.
In this article, we gathered five health benefits of nuts you should know.
1. Beneficial For Appearance
Nuts and seeds can be used for teeth whitening as well. They have an abrasive texture that can clean away surface stains and plague. Moreover, all nuts contain calcium and phosphorous that build-up your teeth.
Almond and cedar oils help moisturize the skin and protect it from ultraviolet damage. Walnut oil can be also beneficial if you have sensitive, irritated or inflamed skin. You can also use shredded nuts as facial and body scrub.
2. Nuts May Extend Lifespan
Some studies show that people who eat a small handful of nuts seven or more times a week are 20 percent less likely to die from various diseases compared to those who avoid nuts.
In addition, eating nuts at least five times a week is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 30 percent and cancer mortality by 11 percent.
3. A Good Source Of Fatty Acids
First of all, nuts have a very high content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. For example, a handful of walnuts contain 0.07 oz of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the primary omega-3 fatty acid.
Women need approximately 0.07 oz of this acid per day and men need 0.1 oz to maintain good overall health. A handful of walnuts also contain 0.39 oz of linoleic acid of the Omega-6 family. The adult’s need for linoleic acid is approximately 0.25 oz per day.
4. Rich In Vitamins & Minerals
Nuts contain important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B1, vitamin E, iron, manganese, and selenium. Vitamin E deficiency is associated with an increased risk of infections, anemia, stunted growth, and an unfavorable pregnancy outcome for both the baby and the mother.
Almonds are especially rich in vitamin E. 2 tablespoons of almonds contain 35% of the daily intake of this vitamin.
Brazil nuts are the richest food source of selenium on earth. The functions of selenium are various. It helps to maintain the normal condition of hair and nails, protects cells from oxidative stress, contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, and makes a significant contribution to the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.
5. Heart Health
There is strong evidence that regular use of unsalted nuts protects against heart disease. If you eat nuts every day, you can reduce the risk of heart disease by 30 percent. A significant amount of cholesterol is extremely harmful to your blood vessels.
Eating unsalted nuts also helps to reduce the level of cholesterol because of a large amount of unsaturated fat in them. However, it is possible that other substances in nuts are also responsible for the positive effects.
It is also important to know that walnuts help improve the elasticity of blood vessels. In order to get this positive effect, you need to eat at least a handful of walnuts per day.
