High in calories, nuts such as peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts sometimes have a pretty bad reputation. However, diverse studies have shown that eating nuts, if no salt or sugar added, is not a direct factor contributing to obesity and is not encouraging weight gain. These studies have also pointed out that nuts have high antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. They are one of the healthiest snacks you can get throughout the day!
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Cashew
Walnut
Brazil nut
Almond
Hazelnut
Peanut
Hazelnut
How much can i eat nuts a day ?
Omegas and Vitamins: Why do I need them?
Cashew
This nut is extremely rich in magnesium, helps lower your level of LDL (bad cholesterol) and promotes your heart health. Containing lots of antioxidants and vitamins, cashew is a real health guardian!
Walnut
Extremely rich in antioxidants it contains a healthy, well-balanced amount of fatty acid and omega3. Walnuts are amazing to promote your overall health (heart, cognitive growth, antioxidants).
Brazil nut
This nut is the only one able to cover your recommended daily needs in selenium. Like most other nuts, this one also promotes a positive heart health and plays a key role in lessening the risks of developing prostate cancer.
Almond
Among all the type of nuts you can think of, almond is the richest in calcium — it contains more calcium than any dairy product (based on the same quantity)! The list of almond’s health benefits goes on: containing lots of magnesiums, fibers and proteins it also is a powerful antioxidant. You should eat a whole almond to preserve your heart health, get a great shot of vitamins and enjoy its nutritive properties.
Hazelnut
This nut is extremely rich in vitamin E and healthy fatty acids. With its hypocholesterolemic properties, it helps lower bad cholesterol, while promoting a healthy heart. Besides, hazelnut is rich in manganese, which helps lessen the risks of free radicals-related damages.
Pistachio
This nut targets cholesterol; on the one hand it contributes to lessen “bad cholesterol” levels and on the other hand, helps increase the amount of “good cholesterol”. Among any other nuts, this one is the richest in phytosterols, a natural antioxidant. Eating pistachios has been linked to the improvement of glucose metabolism, lipid profile and vascular function.
Peanut
You may be surprised, but this one is not a nut! Growing under the ground, peanuts are actually legumes. Extremely rich in proteins, fibers and antioxidants, their health properties are highly similar to the ones of other nuts. Its lipid profile promotes a healthy heart.
How much can I eat nuts a day?
Although it is recommended to eat up to about 1oz of nuts a day, some studies have pointed out that eating about 2oz had no significant impact on weight gain and wouldn’t mitigate their vascular and other health benefits (in the context of a well-balanced diet). If you want to start integrating nuts to your daily diet, then a 1oz serving would be a good start. The best you can do is to mix some almonds with brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachios and hazelnuts or peanuts altogether. You can also get some nuts’ butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter…) — yum, time for a P&J!
If you are allergic to nuts, you can use Meersens’ app to check if your favorite daily products contain some!
Omegas and Vitamins: Why do I need them?
- Omega 3: These are polyunsaturated fatty acids and are essential to the development and the functioning of your retina, brain and nervous system. It is extremely important to keep a well-balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 in your diet. We usually tend to eat too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3!
- Omega 9: These are monounsaturated fatty acids, usually found in olive oil. A diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (omega 9) helps reduce vascular diseases.
- Vitamin B: They have lots of functions, but they mainly help produce energy and maintain a healthy nervous system.
- Vitamin K: This one is essential to preserve your bone density. Vitamin K is also said to prevent the development of atherosclerosis and vascular diseases.
- Vitamin E: This one greatly helps reinforce your immune system and prevents the development of vascular diseases and cognitive decline, especially among elderly people.
You can find more information and good daily habits on the Meersens app, the guardian of your health.
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