Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
Nuts are recognized as a nutritionally rich superfood that can contribute towards a range of health benefits when eaten regularly. Apart from the fact that they are delicious, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go, nuts are enriched with many health-benefiting nutrients and phytochemicals that are essential for optimum wellness.
Nuts include:
- almonds
- Brazil nuts
- cashew nuts
- hazelnuts
- macadamias
- pecans
- pine nuts
- pistachios
- walnuts
Nutritionists frequently advise incorporating nuts in your breakfast, the first meal of the day. This is due to the fact that nuts are a wholesome food and filling snacks that are packed with important nutrients. Almost all nuts offer a special set of advantages to your health and well-being.
In this blog, we will highlight the lesser-known health benefits of eating nuts.
What’s a healthy serving of nuts?
By incorporating nuts into your diet, wide-ranging changes to health can occur. This section will highlight a number of benefits associated with consuming nuts regularly, in moderation.
Nuts Contain Healthy Fats
There have been many studies conducted on the benefits of consuming nuts. Consistently, results have indicated that nuts are especially high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are fats that have been linked with a number of health benefits.
The body uses these “good” fats to produce energy, absorb important vitamins and minerals, maintain immunological and neurological system health, insulate the body, control blood pressure, and prevent blood clotting. Additionally, nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fatty acids. Thus eating them frequently can guarantee that the body performs at its best.
Consuming Nuts Improve Heart Health
Out of the many health benefits that nuts can offer, one of the most important benefits of nuts is keeping your cardiovascular health in check. Studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts can help reduce the levels of LDL, or dangerous cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream which avoids serious cardiovascular issues.
Facilitates Weight Loss
Despite being high in fat and calories, nuts are incredibly nutritious. Regularly eating nuts as part of a balanced diet may bring about positive changes in body weight. According to some studies, nuts increase the oxidation of fats and thermogenesis, helping turn calories into energy at a faster rate. Additionally, nuts are high in fibre, which can lengthen satiety and delay stomach emptying, so reducing appetite and prolonging the sense of fullness.
Nuts are packed with micronutrients
Nuts contain a vast range of micronutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, folate, and zinc. Therefore, consuming these bite-sized snacks can significantly help in maintaining good health.
Rich in Antioxidants
Several nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, and chestnuts, contain an extremely vast number of antioxidants that prevent damage from occurring at a cellular level. and may, therefore, be useful in preventing a number of these diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
High in Fiber Contents
Various studies have indicated that by consuming nuts regularly, you can increase the amount of fibre that you consume each day thus consequently improving your digestive health and reducing the risk of a range of digestive issues such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticulitis.
Final Thoughts
Given their immense health benefits, there is every reason that nuts should make it onto your plate regularly as a nutritious snack. From your heart to your waistline, eating nuts may improve health, and generally prove beneficial for your body. Therefore, it is absolutely recommended to add nuts to everything from milkshakes to smoothies, or as toppings on a salad or sandwich. Having said that, it is recommended to be conscious of portion sizes and choose unsalted or unsweetened nuts.
Furthermore, you should also frequently opt for preventive health checkups.
These health checks provide you with a comprehensive insight into your health, allowing you to take necessary precautions to stay at the top of your health.
