Hi folks - time to get nutty! No, I do not mean going mad, I mean it is time to ensure that nuts are part of your balanced nutrition. At least 5oz of nuts a week seems to reduce the risk of heart attack or heart disease by 33 percent. As usual, moderation is the key, with balanced nutrition the goal.Nuts contain mostly heart healthy unsaturated fats and are said to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. They also contain significant levels of protein, fibre and fat, helping you to feel fuller quicker, thus helping you lose weight, as you eat less. Furthermore, a Harvard School of Public Health study found a thirty percent reduction in type two diabetes risk - a serious heart disease risk factor - in women who ingested at least five one ounce servings a week in comparison to women who ate little or no nuts. Also, women who ate 5 tablespoons of peanut butter a week reduced type two diabetes risk by almost twenty percent.
So, what other nutrients are present in nuts? They include magnesium, manganese, protein, fibre, zinc and phosphorus. Some examples:
- Walnuts. One ounce of walnuts (about 14 shelled walnut halves) is all that is needed to meet the 2002 dietary recommendation of the Food Nutrition Board of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine for omega-3 fatty acids.
- Almonds. One ounce of almonds (about 20 to 24 shelled whole almonds) provides 35 percent of your daily value for vitamin E. Vitamin E may help promote healthy aging.
- Peanuts. Though often discussed with nuts, peanuts are actually a legume along with dry beans, peas and lentils. One ounce of roasted peanuts provides about 10 percent of the daily value of folate, a B vitamin recommended to help reduce the incidence of birth defects and lower the risk of heart disease. Peanuts also are an excellent source of the cardiovascular health vitamin niacin, providing about 20 percent of the daily value. Nuts are cholesterol free and low in sodium - useful when seeking to reverse heart disease. So get nutty right now .....
To your abundant excellent health,
Dr Ike
Holistic Health Coach and Functional Health Expert
Sources:
Duke University Center for Integrative Medicine
Prevention: http://www.prevention.com/health/health/health-concerns/reverse-heart-disease-in-24-days/article
NUTS for Nutrition: Alice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension - Lancaster County, USA
