Nuts: benefits, harm, contraindications

If you decide to eat the right foods, then you cannot do without nuts. Together with honey, vegetables and greens, nuts are the most useful foods for human health. Any kind of nuts contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, fats and proteins. During the period of diet, fasting - nuts are simply necessary. And for vegetarians and raw foodists, nuts are considered an indispensable product.

The benefits of nuts

Regular inclusion of any variety of nuts in the diet has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the whole body. Trace elements contained in nuts stimulate brain activity, promote concentration, and increase memory. Nuts are also useful for the activity of the cardiac system. Just a few nuts a day and you will be protected from a heart attack. Nuts are rich in vitamin E, which is an excellent prevention against high cholesterol and the formation of plaques on the walls of blood vessels.

Nuts are high in iron - a great way to replenish iron deficiency. It is for this purpose that it is recommended to eat nuts for those people who adhere to the rejection of meat. Nuts have excellent nutritional value. That is why they can be eaten during the diet and as snacks. A few nuts eaten will leave you feeling full for a long time, while you will not gain extra pounds. And the low carbohydrate content of nuts makes them available even to people with diabetes.

It is especially beneficial for women to eat nuts. They have a good effect on reproductive function. Fatty acids and omega-3s contained in nuts normalize the production of sex hormones. Nuts also have a great effect on men, increasing them potency.

The harm of nuts

Like any product, nuts have not only positive aspects, but also negative aspects. It is safe to say that not all people can eat any kind of nuts without any restrictions.

First of all, because of the very high calorie content, nuts cannot be abused by people who have extra pounds. This does not mean that you cannot eat nuts at all. You can have a little - a few pieces a day will not hurt.

Due to the risk of developing allergies, nuts should not be given to children under the age of three. And if the child showed signs of allergy to tomatoes, peaches, or an allergy appeared to flowering plants, then the nuts should not be given to him until seven years old. In order to be sure of the safety of nuts for a child, it is better to take tests to identify an allergen.

For those suffering from various skin diseases, nuts can be eaten with great care. Perhaps only almonds can be excluded from the total number of nuts. People with migraine headaches are also not advised to consume nuts because of their tyramine content, which can provoke headaches.

Do not eat nuts that are moldy or rancid. Such nuts will bring nothing but trouble. In addition to their unpleasant taste, they can also cause cancer.

Contraindications for nuts

Let's see who nuts are contraindicated. As we noted above, this number includes overweight people who are prone to skin and allergic diseases and small children. But this is not the whole list.

People who have liver problems should also abstain from nuts. After all, they are able to provoke its increase. Nuts are a fairly heavy food. Therefore, people with digestive problems should refrain from consuming them so as not to provoke an exacerbation. To facilitate the digestion of nuts, they need to be eaten very slowly and chewed well.

Even with such restrictions, you should not completely abandon this delicacy. If everything is in order with your health, then you can include nuts in your daily diet, of course, in reasonable amounts. For example, small nuts can be consumed up to 80 pieces per day. And the number of large nuts, such as hazelnuts, should not exceed 20. This amount will be enough for the body to absorb all the nutrients from the nuts without negative consequences.

Calorie content of nuts

Almost all types of nuts, without exception, are very high in calories. For example, walnuts contain about 700 kcal, while pine nuts contain 673 kcal. Almonds, which in their essence are not a nut, although they contain as much as 645 kcal, are very useful for health due to their high ability to remove toxins from the body.

Cashew nuts contain 633 kcal and are highly recommended for anemia and dystrophy. And for people suffering from thyroid diseases, walnuts with a caloric value of 648 kcal will benefit.

The calorie content of other types of nuts can be found on this plate.

How to choose nuts

Unfortunately, in recent years, a lot of poor-quality nuts with an expired shelf life have been sold in stores. In order not to run into such a product, choose nuts carefully.

To get started, carefully examine the packaging of nuts. It should be with high-quality seams and well-printed, non-erasable inscriptions. Then find the expiration date of the nuts. The longest shelf life of nuts is no more than six months. After that, the nuts can no longer be eaten. If you see a shelf life of more than 6 months on the package, then it is better not to buy such nuts.

When buying nuts, choose those that are sold unpeeled. These nuts keep better and are less contaminated. If you do decide to buy nuts without shells, do not purchase split nuts. Most likely, this product has already expired, it will deteriorate very quickly.

If you decide to buy walnuts, see if there are any remnants of the green shell on the shell. Such nuts are most likely still unripe and should be refrained from buying. Choose elongated nuts - they have a thinner shell. Light nuts are usually spoiled on the inside, so go for heavy ones. If you buy already peeled walnut kernels, then choose voluminous and crunchy ones - these will last longer and have a better taste.

Types of nuts

There are many types of nuts on our planet. All of them have their own merits and, to one degree or another, are useful to humans.

In our country, the following types of nuts are most widespread:

• Peanuts - This product is inherently not a nut, but a legume. However, in its properties it is similar to a nut. Peanuts are very high in protein, folate and vitamin E.
• Pine nuts are usually purchased peeled. But in this form, it is stored for a very short time. Store peeled pine nuts properly in tightly closed containers in the refrigerator. So it lasts up to two months. If you transfer these containers to the freezer, you can increase the shelf life up to 4 months.
• Almonds are especially popular with healthy food devotees. These nuts are low in carbohydrates and starch, but high in nutrients. Almonds are high in the right fats to help your heart. Almonds are best consumed raw.
• Cashews are popular for their delicious taste. The peculiarity of cashews does not allow them to be sold raw. Therefore, only roasted cashew kernels are found on store shelves. They are high in fat and high in calories. You can store cashew nuts for a very long time. They do not deteriorate in the refrigerator for up to seven months, and they can be stored in the freezer for a whole year.
• It is better to buy pistachios in their skins. At the same time, it is easy to determine its maturity. If the pistachio is slightly open at one end, then the nut is ripe. The tastiest pistachios have a more intense green color. Pistachios have a very high content of microelements, vitamins E and almost the entire group B. Sometimes pistachios can cause allergic reactions. This is due to the high content of cashew acid in them.
• Walnuts are considered one of the healthiest. They have a huge concentration of useful trace elements and valuable vitamins. Walnuts are highly valued by vegetarians and those who adhere to the principles of a raw food diet. Indeed, these nuts have a large amount of natural protein and they are quite capable of replacing meat. It is best to buy nuts in shells, in which there are more useful substances.
• Hazelnuts are another popular type of nuts in our country. Like walnuts, hazelnuts are best bought unpeeled. Hazelnuts contain a lot of fiber and folic acid, which is very valuable for pregnant women. But there is practically no gluten in it, so it can be eaten by allergy sufferers.

What nuts are healthy

Walnut occupies the first place in terms of its useful properties for humans. It is not for nothing that the kernel of this nut resembles the brain - it is for this organ that it is most beneficial. In addition, it has a high concentration of minerals, various amino acids and vitamins. Therefore, it has a good effect on the heart, liver and skin condition.

Hazelnuts are in second place in terms of their useful properties. Hazelnuts are high in B vitamins, fats, and folic acid, which are essential for pregnant women.

The honorable third place is occupied by almonds - the champion in the content of vitamin E. A large number of healthy fatty acids and microelements in almonds. It is recommended to include it in your menu for many ailments.

The fourth line can be given to the cedar nut. These crumbs are useful for brain activity, they have a high concentration of antioxidants, trace elements and vitamins.

In fifth place, we put the most inexpensive nut - peanuts. These nuts contain a lot of trace elements and vitamins, amino acids and essential good fats. Peanuts can be eaten to prevent cancer.