People have a predictable response when they learn that nuts are a SuperFood. Most say, “I can’t eat nuts: they’re too fattening. I can’t even have nuts in the house. If they are around, I eat them.” These responses are understandable; nuts are just plain delicious.
Certainly nuts are high in calories, but they have extraordinary health benefits and are an important addition to your diet. And we’ll give you some tips on how to enjoy them judiciously so you won’t get fat. First a simple fact: Eating a handful of nuts about five times a week will reduce your chances of getting a heart attack by at least 15 percent and possibly as much as 51 percent. That’s how powerful nuts are.
As a new nutritional era emerges that moves well beyond macronutrients like fat and protein and into the exciting world of phytonutrients, nutritionists are rediscovering these little nutrition powerhouses. We can safely say that nuts will play an important role in maximizing the human health span during this century.
It’s a simple if astounding fact: people who eat nuts regularly can enjoy a significant reduction in their risk of developing coronary heart disease. They’ll also reduce their risk of diabetes, cancer, and a host of other chronic ailments.
There was great excitement in the press very recently when researchers from Harvard studied more than 83,000 women and found that those who reported eating a handful of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter at least five times a week were more than 20 percent less likely to develop adult onset (type II) diabetes than those who rarely or never ate nuts. Type II diabetes develops when the body cannot properly use insulin. The women had been followed for up to sixteen years. The speculation is that the results apply to men as well as women. It’s not only the “good” fat in the nuts that work on heart health. The fiber and magnesium in nuts help maintain balanced insulin and glucose levels.
While the evidence supporting nuts’ contribution to heart health and diabetes prevention is impressive, we must remember that nuts, like every other SuperFood, don’t just target a few isolated systems in our bodies. Indeed, they’re categorized as SuperFoods because of their amazingly powerful effect on our overall health. Fiber: Nuts are a rich source of dietary fiber. In one study, a lo-gram-a day increase in dietary fiber resulted in a 19 percent decrease in coronary heart disease risk. One ounce of peanuts or mixed nuts provides about 2l/2 grams of fiber—a good contribution to overall daily fiber consumption.
Vitamin E: Most of us don’t get nearly enough vitamin E in our daily diets, and nuts and seeds are a rich source of this nutrient. One of the components of vitamin E—gamma Tocopherol—has powerful anti-inflammatory proper¬ties.
