Go “Nuts” & “Seeds” for Your Heart-Health!

Nuts are rich sources of plant proteins, unsaturated fats, minerals, fibres, antioxidants. It also contains less saturated fatty acids and no dietary cholesterol.

COMMON NUTS AND SEEDS WITH HEALTH BENEFITS ARE:

NUTS

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Brazil nuts
• Macadamias
• Peacans

SEEDS

• Flax seeds
• Chia seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF NUTS AND SEEDS:

• They reduce the chances of developing diabetes
• Help to reduce body weight
• Reduces the bad cholesterol LDL
• Reduces inflammation in the body
• Reduces the risk of heart attack and brain stroke
• Promotes gut health
• Reduces the risk of colonic and prostate cancer

DAILY RECOMMENDED INTAKE OF NUTS:

1 SERVING = one ounce or 30 gms give 170 -180m calories approx..

1 serving is

• 40 peanuts or
• 30 pistachios or
• 20 almonds or walnuts or hazelnuts or
• 15 cashews pecans or macadamias or
• 10 brazil nuts

If you are taking both nuts and seeds, together they should make the recommended amount of 1 ounce/ 30 gms

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF NUTS and SEEDS:

Nuts are generally rich in good saturated fatty acids like MUFA and PUFA. Since they provide more calories, we should restrict some calorie intake from other sources to balance it out. Like any other food item even nuts are varied in nutrients. Each nut is rich in a particular vitamin or mineral. So it is important to take a mixture of nuts for maximum benefits rather than depending on a particular form of nut.

Pistachios: Vitamin E and potassium

Walnuts: omega 3 fatty acid and folic acid

Almond: richest source of vitamin E and good amount of fibre

Pecans: Omega 3 fatty acid PUFA

Macadamia: Richest source of MUFA and manganese

Brazil nut: Richest source of selenium and good amount of fibre

SEEDS:

Flax seeds: Contain good amount of omega 3 fatty acids along with fibres and antioxidants (especially lignans).it also contain good amount of vitamins and minerals. It should be ground well before consumption for better absorption of the nutrients. It reduces bad cholesterol and help to control BP. Daily recommended intake of linoleic acid is 2.2g/day which is available in 1 tablespoon of flax seed.

Chia seeds: it is an excellent source of fibre, calcium, proteins, and ALA. It can be soaked and added in diet. It absorbs lot of water. So, make sure to drink a lot when chia seeds are consumed.

Sesame seeds: These seeds also contain good amount of fibres and vitamin B5 [pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B9 (folic acid)]

Pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds: They are good sources of fibres and micronutrients

TIPS TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN WE INCLUDE NUTS IN OUR DIET:

1. Try to avoid salted nuts
2. As nuts are energy-dense, take them with vegetable or fruit salads. Avoid them with high calorie food items.
3. Fried snacks or cakes or cookies in the evenings can be replaced with nuts
4. Most of the antioxidants in the nuts are present in the outer coating of the nuts and hence soaking and peeling the outer coating results in significant loss of antioxidants.

Is soaking in the water and eating is beneficial?

It is a common practise to soak and peel the outer skin of nuts before eating them. It is considered that soaking process will reduce phytic acid. Phytic acids are antioxidants which will reduce the absorption of minerals (iron, zinc) in the nuts. The following points are noteworthy while considering to soak the nuts

• There will be no significant reduction of phytic acids even after soaking for 24 hrs. But if you keep soaking for longer time, that can increase the risk of fungal growth which should be avoided
• Phytic acid has shown to reduce colonic cancer

The advantages of soaking are

• Helps in easy digestion
• Preserves some B vitamins -this will be very minimal quantity compared to consumption of whole grains

Nuts and seeds are loaded with nutrients that are very essential for a healthy heart and body. Just because they are rich in nutrients it doesn’t mean you can take them in larger quantities. In addition to these micronutrients, they are also loaded with calories. When you are consuming nuts and seeds also mind the calories they provide and balance it out with the calories from your main food items. Make sure to take them in right amount and right proportion to make the maximum out of what is available in them.