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EAT SMART
Pack a powerful punch
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Now an important part of a healthy diet, nuts are making news for all the right reasons. DR. JALAJA RAMASWAMY
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Superstars: Storehouse of nutrients and protective non-nutrients.
Most of us know the basic way of remaining healthy — a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products.
Now add one more to this list: Nuts. Nuts are now considered important components of a healthy diet.
Nuts are making the news --- and for all the right reasons. Ensuring a daily intake of nuts, the heart-friendly food group, is a nice way of keeping healthy.
Until recently, nuts were regarded as a high energy food and so their consumption was limited or even avoided.
Favourable profile
During the last 10 years or so, nuts have acquired a “Superstar” status among the food groups. It is now recognised that nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients and protective non-nutrients. A handful (about 20 to 30 gm) of nuts every day is cardio-protective and has far reaching benefits on health. The only constraint seems to be their high cost.
Although most nuts are calorie dense and provide 500 to 600 kcal and about 40gm of fat per 100 gm the fat contained in nuts has a favourable fatty acid profile.
The principal fatty acids in nuts are the monounsaturated fatty acids and the polyunsaturated fatty acids with a much smaller proportion of saturated fatty acids. Both monounsaturated fatty acids and the polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to be healthier than saturated fatty acids.
Nuts also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for cardiovascular health and the growth and function of the nervous tissue.
Health benefits
Nuts have other health promoting compounds including plant proteins, dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble) vitamins like E and niacin, minerals like copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc, plant sterols, and phytochemicals.
There is a long list of health benefits associated with regular consumption of nuts.
There is convincing evidence to show that the MUFA and the PUFA in nuts can modify the lipid profile favourably by increasing the good cholesterol, (HDL) and lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) and the total cholesterol (especially in subjects with high cholesterol levels) and may reduce risk of coronary artery disease. On the other hand foods rich in saturated fatty acids are known to raise blood cholesterol concentrations.
Heart healthy
As early as 1996, the Iowa Women’s Healthy Study found that consuming nuts more than four times a week reduced the possibility of dying from heart disease. Similar results were observed in another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health.
Other cardio-protective constituents in nuts include dietary fibre, vitamin E, folic acid and phytochemicals (including plant compounds similar to cholesterol called phytosterols that can inhibit cholesterol absorption).
Nuts, especially walnuts, contain the omega-3 fatty acids that offer protection against irregular heart rhythms and blood clot formation.
According to a Harvard Medical School press release, nuts are rich in arginine (an amino acid and a constituent of proteins) that improves the health of artery walls and blood vessel function. Their work shows that nuts are healthy, especially for men at risk for heart disease.
Studies have shown an inverse relationship between nut consumption and Type 2 diabetes. Daily intake of nuts could reduce chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Soluble fibre in nuts can not only reduce total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, but also regulate blood sugar levels favourably.
Reducing AMD
One of the leading causes of irreversible visual impairment and blindness is age-related macular degeneration. Intake of nuts has been shown to reduce the risk of the progression of AMD.
Consumption of nuts may also be associated with a reduced risk of dementia and gall stones.
A study involving 10 European countries in 2004 showed that modest intake of about 16gm of nuts and seeds may be associated with a reduced incidence of colon cancer in women.
Consuming nuts does not seem to cause a weight gain. Consumption of nuts at least two times per week is associated with lower chances of weight gain as compared to eating nuts rarely.
One study reported that frequent nut consumption was associated with a lower than average body weight.
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