Benefits Of Nuts

The Nuts 

What are they?

The nut is a dry fruit that comes from the seed that harbors the mature fruit of the walnut tree, original tree of the old Persia, of which its existence is known from the year 7000 a.C.In the market you can find Spanish, French and American varieties. Among them, the best known are the common (J.Regia), Mallete and Franquette among the French varieties, Eureka, Payne and Chandler, among the Californian varieties, and the walnut of the black walnut (J. Nigra), originally from the United States, of hard shell and bigger size than the common one.

Composition and properties

High levels of polyphenols, antioxidant chemical compounds that help prevent cellular damage.

A high consumption of foods rich in polyphenols typical of the culture and the Mediterranean diet is associated with a better score in memory tests and global cognitive function in elderly people with cardiovascular risk factors according to the results of a Predimed research (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet), the largest trial of nutritional intervention with a Mediterranean diet for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other frequent pathologies in people at high risk. Nuts are rich in components distinguished by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These foods rich in antioxidants typical of the Mediterranean diet could counteract the cognitive decline associated with age.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3 type with anti-inflammatory function that our body does not manufacture.

The action of these fatty acids is focused on decreasing the total cholesterol level in the blood and reducing the viscosity of the blood, thus reducing the risk of thrombosis. The nut is the dried fruit that contains the largest amount of omega 3 fat on the market, similar to blue fish. More than 3/5 of its weight correspond to grase and this makes its caloric content is very high. Almost 180 calories are those that provide 30 grams of nuts. If for any reason the consumption of nuts is excessive on a specific day, you can compensate that amount in the following days.

Vitamins B1, B2, B6, vitamin E and niacin.

The nut is a good source in this whole set of vitamins. Only the wheat germ and certain fish such as sardines or salmon equal or surpass the nut in vitamin B6. It emphasizes its content in vitamin E, important antioxidant that prevents against aging and certain types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases. However, it is relatively poor in vitamins A and C.

Minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese.

Walnuts are rich in phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, and also in other minerals that the body needs in a small amount, but they perform very important functions, such as zinc, copper and manganese.

What is good for?

Protection against prostate and breast cancer.

Nuts can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. A study conducted by scientists at the University of California showed that the times they ate the equivalent for a 2.4-ounce human of whole nuts for 18 weeks had significantly smaller and slower prostate tumors in growth compared to the control group that consumed the same amount of fats but from different sources. A diet of whole nuts reduced the growth of prostate cancer by 30 to 40 percent. Another study in mice showed that the equivalent for a human of only two handfuls of nuts a day cut the risk of breast cancer by half, and caused tumor growth to be slowed by 50 percent.

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases by reducing the cholesterol level and triglycerides.

High cholesterol levels can cause narrowing of the arteries and increase the risk of cerebral infarction and heart. An investigation by the University of Loma Linda (United States) reviewed 25 studies in which more than 500 people distributed in seven countries participated. Those who consumed 67 grams of nuts per day reduced their levels of bad cholesterol (LDL: low density lipoproteins) by 7.4%. In addition, in people with a blood triglyceride concentration higher than normal (more than 150 milligrams per deciliter) the consumption of walnuts reduces the levels of these by 10.2%. Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which provides multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease, or those at increased risk of heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors. If you have herpes problems, you should limit your intake of nuts because they contain high levels of arginine that can deplete the amino acid lysine, which can cause a recurrence of herpes.

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