nuts snacks are very popular, including walnuts, cashew nuts, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, etc. Nuts, including tree nuts and plant seeds, are the essence of plants. Nuts are generally rich in nutrients, including protein, oil, minerals, vitamins, and have excellent effects on human growth and development, physical fitness and disease prevention. Let’s have a look at it.
From the analysis of nutritional components, the nutrition of nuts has the following characteristics:
1, high fat content, 44% – 70%. But the fatty acids in nuts are mainly unsaturated fatty acids, which is beneficial to improve the content of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (healthy) in blood and reduce the cholesterol content in blood. It has a certain role in preventing coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis.
2, rich in protein, accounting for 5.3% – 25%.
3, rich in vitamins and minerals. Magnesium, potassium, copper, selenium and other minerals not only regulate a variety of physiological functions, but also are important elements in the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes. Nuts are rich in vitamin E, selenium and other nutrients with antioxidant effect, which have anti-aging and anti-tumor effects.
Research findings on nuts and health:
1. Will eating nuts increase weight?
nuts are high in fat. Will eating nuts often increase weight? Some scientific research provides the answer. The results showed that the intakes of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium and copper were increased in the diet of the subjects, which reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, but there was no significant change in body weight. In another study, 81 subjects were asked to eat 50-100 grams of almonds (40-80 kernels) every day, and their average weight increased by 0.40 kg. However, this change occurred in the low weight group. Based on the nutritional composition of nuts and its impact on health, it is suggested that:
1, eat in moderation.
nuts contain more energy than steamed bread of the same weight. The energy content of 100 grams of nuts is 300-600 kcal, and that of 100 grams of steamed bread is 220 kcal, so it is not suitable to eat too much. Some people regard eating nuts as a way to control their weight. It is unscientific to eat a lot of nuts every day, such as 1-2 Jin of melon seeds《 According to the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, it is healthy to eat 50 grams of nuts a week.
2, eat a variety of ways.
there are many ways to eat nuts. You can eat a few nuts at breakfast; When you drink tea, you can have a few; Put nuts in a small bottle of chewing gum and take them with you. When you feel hungry in the morning or afternoon, you can have a few. Nuts can be eaten alone or in vegetables, such as celery and cashew nuts, with good nutrition and taste.
3, eat less salty nuts.
when choosing nuts, it is recommended to choose the original flavor, not the salted one, in order to reduce the salt intake.
Note
in addition to chestnuts, ginkgo, nuts contain little starch, dietary fiber is relatively high, so they have little risk of increasing blood sugar. The important task of diabetes is to prevent and control complications of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and in this respect, nuts will be of great benefit. Eating a handful of nuts in the morning is a wise food choice for diabetics.
for example, a study published in 2004 found that adding walnuts to the diet of patients with type II diabetes can improve the blood lipid status of patients. In a Spanish study, 9000 cardiovascular patients were investigated, and found that eating nuts was beneficial to controlling the risk of heart disease and blood lipids.
gout patients can also rest assured if they eat a handful of nuts.
because nuts belong to low purine food, the purine content of which is lower than that of soybean and most beans. For example, the purine content in walnuts is 25 mg / 100 g, that in Brazil nuts is 23, that in hazelnuts is 37, that in peanuts is 79, that in tofu is 68, that in soybeans is 190, and that in pork is 150.
weight loss can rest assured to eat.
weight loss people should feel at ease, because studies have found that some nuts have a good sense of satiety, such as almond fiber content ranked first among nuts, it can effectively suppress hunger, and prolong the sense of satiety. Even if the fiber content is not high walnut, in the appropriate amount of food, do not increase the total dietary energy, also conducive to weight control. If eat in breakfast, need not worry too much more.
old people should not eat more nuts.
the nutritional value of nuts is very high, but because of its high oil content, too much consumption is harmful to patients with hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, diabetes and so on. In addition, many nuts in the processing process, will use spices, some of them will stimulate the central nervous system, adverse to cardiovascular patients. Moreover, the use of salt will also increase the chance of sodium retention, increase the blood vessel tension of the human body, increase the weight of the center of the kidney and increase the blood pressure. * Therefore, the consumption of nuts by the elderly should be limited.
nuts should be eaten in the morning.
all kinds of nuts and kernels, such as watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnut, almonds, walnuts, etc., are also suitable for snacks between meals. They are rich in vitamin E, a variety of minerals and dietary fiber. Studies have shown that they can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease when eaten properly.
nuts and kernels are very good, but there is too much fat. You should only eat one teaspoon of them every day, otherwise it is easy to gain weight. They are not suitable for eating after dinner, but more suitable for eating in the morning. After dinner, it’s more suitable to eat fruit, and it’s better to eat less dinner and reserve this amount in advance.