Health Benefits of Nuts – The Snack That Can Benefit Your Health

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As a regular NHR reader you'll know all about the many benefits to be had from following a low carbohydrate, high protein diet. As well as offering an effortless way to lose weight, the diet also boosts your energy levels and can improve your health.

You only have to look at the two recent studies reported in last month's issue as a testament to that. They revealed how the Atkins diet outperformed traditional low-fat diets, both in terms of greater weight loss and lowered triglyceride (blood fat) levels, increased HDL 'good' cholesterol and improvements in insulin sensitivity.

These successful results combined with numerous reports about all the celebrities, like Jennifer Aniston and Renee Zellweger, who have lost weight on the diet are probably part of the reason why the Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution book is currently outselling all other titles... and is second only to the latest Harry Potter novel in the bestsellers list. This is great news as it means that the low-carb message is finally getting through.

One low-carb food you should make sure you're eating plenty of, after completing the induction phase of the Atkins diet, is nuts. They're packed full of protein and are a good source of healthy fats, not to mention all the vitamins (including antioxidants) and minerals they contain.

The amino acid arginine is also present in nuts which, as stated in this month's lead article on impotence, can help overcome erectile dysfunction. Arginine has also been found to boost immunity and lower elevated blood pressure levels. In addition, certain nuts like pecans, walnuts and almonds contain tryptophan - another amino acid that stimulates the production of the 'feel good' hormone serotonin in your brain, which can help ward off depression and promote a more relaxed state.

Nuts can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 35%

Unfortunately, many people aren't deriving any of these important health benefits, choosing instead to follow mainstream advice and follow a low-fat diet, which means nuts are out because of their fatty nature and high calorie content.

Yes, nuts are high in fat but they contain high levels of healthy fats that are known to have heart-protective benefits. As Lawrence Kirk, a naturopath and lecturer in diet and medicine at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, explains: 'What many people don't appreciate is that the fat contained in nuts is mostly the healthiest monounsaturated type. Most nuts are quite low in artery-clogging saturated fats'.

And Dr Hannah Theobald, a nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation in London, says: 'Numerous studies have shown that replacing saturated fatty acids in the diet with unsaturated fats can lower bad, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL).' It is LDL cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.
The famous Nurses Health Study, which included over 86,000 participants, is an example of the heart-protective benefits of nuts. The participants in this study who ate nuts at least five times a week were found to have a 35 per cent lower risk of heart disease compared with those who rarely ate nuts or avoided them.

In addition, research conducted by Professor Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, found that participants who ate peanuts and peanut butter experienced a 10 per cent reduction in triglycerides and also lowered their levels of LDL cholesterol. High triglyceride levels, like LDL cholesterol, are strongly implicated in increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

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Eating a broad range of nuts is best as they each have specific health benefits

Another reason to eat more peanuts is because they're an excellent source of B vitamins, including folate, riboflavin and niacin. All of which are essential for healthy metabolism and growth; a deficiency of them can cause muscle degredation and fatigue.

Like peanuts, walnuts also have important benefits for your heart because of the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids they contain. Both omega 3 and omega 6 are also needed for maintaining healthy joints and brain function.

Another must are Brazil nuts. A recent study conducted at the University of Illinois in the US suggests that Brazil nuts may play a vital role in preventing breast cancer. According to the scientists who carried out the study, this benefit is probably a result of the high amounts of selenium they contain.

Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralise harmful free radicals that can attack healthy cells and increase the risk of serious conditions like heart disease and cancer - including breast cancer as already mentioned, and lung, bowel and prostate cancer.

The list of health benefits attached to each individual nut is endless. Other nuts that are particularly good include: pistachios for their high iron, protein and fibre content and high levels of magnesium, which helps control blood pressure; hazelnuts because they are one of the richest sources of the antioxidant vitamin E; and cashew nuts for their high iron content which is needed to make haemoglobin - the red pigment in the blood.

Obviously it goes without saying that nuts should not be eaten by anyone with an allergy to them. The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that if you have a family history of nut allergies you should avoid nuts when pregnant and should not give them to your children to eat in their early years.

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