Hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, or macadamia – Nature is providing a large variety of nuts. And all of them have something in common: New scientific finings show that the consumption of nuts has a very positive effect on our health. This is also the case for almonds and cashew nuts, which belong to the botanical family of stone fruit, as well as peanuts, which are leguminous plants.
Positive Effects of Nuts
“Nuts and raisins”, which mainly consists of nuts, is typically eaten by students for a reason. Nuts, rich in Tryptophan, are not only increasing the feeling of happiness, but also help to maintain the concentration needed for studying. An additional benefit is: The high magnesium content helps reducing stress and additionally Vitamin B helps strengthen the nerves – thus nuts are referred to as nerve food.
Nuts can also be referred to as “heart food”, since recent findings show that even a small quantity of nuts can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases by 30 %. This is confirmed by a systematic overview published by researchers from the Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), who analyzed multiple studies, which included a total of more than 800,000 participants. According to their study, the risk of diabetes and even cancer can be reduced by frequently consuming nuts.
The recommended daily dose is approximately 20 grams. The consumption of bigger quantities of nuts would not provide additional health benefits according to the overview. Due to the high nutritional value, the overconsumption of nuts would also not be advantageous for the body shape.
Nuts Being Consumed in the Stone Age
Even our ancestors in the Stone Age (Paleolithic Age) were consuming nuts. The Paleo diet, which is inspired by the eating habits of that time, recommends consuming food that was accessible to the human by hunting and collecting. This includes, next to nuts, also meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits – so everything humans could find in the Stone Age when wandering around through woods and meadows. Lactates, plant oils, and cereal products could not yet be produced and therefore are taboo in the Paleo diet.
The right diet is the key to achieve the ideal body weight. In comparison to crash diets, of which celebrities are big fans, the Paleo diet only reduces the carb consumption and encourages consuming fats and proteins. Nuts, for example, contain a big amount of unsaturated fats, which have a positive influence on the cholesterol level and therefore can reduce the risk of obesity over a long period of time. In addition, proteins and fibers contained in the nuts make the body feel saturated quicker and provide more energy for body and soul. Further, nuts contain multiple antioxidants, minerals, and trace elements, which – as research shows – keep us healthy.
Whoever wants to do something beneficial for their body, go ahead and – like our ancestors in the Stone Age – eat a handful of nuts a day.
DDr. Heinrich, MD