Nutrition Facts on Nuts

Nuts have been a consistent part of the human diet throughout history, states the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum. They are used in many food recipes from dips to entrees to desserts. Nuts are considered a hard-shelled fruit that dieters often stay away from because they fear the high-fat content. However, nuts have high nutritional value and contribute to weight control and overall health.

History

According to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, nuts were a staple in man's diet over 780,000 years ago. Traces of nut shells and tools to crack nuts were found buried in parts of Israel. Walnuts were considered sacred to early Romans who thought they were foods for the gods. Many forms of nuts were ground to form powder and thicken food, much like cornstarch.

Benefits

As stated by the Grinning Planet, nuts have many nutritional benefits. They are full of unsaturated fats, which help to lower cholesterol and keep the heart healthy. Nuts are also full of minerals like zinc for wound healing and immunity, chromium to balance insulin production, magnesium for healthy bones and the antioxidant vitamin E to protect the body from free-radical damage. Nuts also help defend the body against chronic illness and some cancers because they contain fiber and phytochemicals.

Prevention/Solution

Alice Henneman, MS, RD, of the University of Nebraska, researched different health conditions that the nutrition found in nuts may help. Nuts, specifically almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts are thought to reduce heart disease because they reduce low-density lipoproteins, known as the 'bad' cholesterol. In a study done by Harvard University, Henneman writes that women who ate five or more servings of nuts per week were less likely to develop type II diabetes. Of those women, the ones who ate 5 tbsp. of peanut butter each week had a 20 percent less chance of developing type II diabetes.

Misconceptions

A common misconception, states the Weight-control Information Network, is that nuts are too fattening and should not be incorporated into a weight-loss diet. Nuts do contain fat and calories, but they do not clog arteries and should be part of a healthy diet. Research reported by the Johns Hopkins Health Alert suggests that people who eat nuts tend to weigh less. This could be due to the fact that people who eat nuts tend to eat an overall healthier diet, and nuts are also full of protein and fiber, which can satisfy an appetite.

Considerations

Although nuts are healthy, do not overeat, writes the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. A serving of 1/2 to 1 oz. of nuts a day is plenty, but be careful of the sodium in prepackaged snack bags. Also consider that nut butter offers the same nutritional value as the nut itself, and is a healthier choice when compared to other fillers such as cheese and meat. Some popular choices are peanut nutter, cashew butter and almond butter.