Not eating a lot of nuts? You should be — they’ve been shown to lower cholesterol, boost heart health, and even increase life expectancy.
If you’re still not sold, try this: A new study out of America’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that people who eat five or more servings of nuts per week have less inflammation — you know, the culprit linked to heart disease and cancer.
We’d opt for walnuts, for their heart healthy omega-3s, but almonds are also tough nuts to beat. With the exception of cashews for their high carb content, nuts are considered as super foods for their health benefits and all year round availability.
And, I don’t know any nut variety that is outrageously expensive…save the macadamia, but some would argue if its a nut at all to start with.
Nuts are highly nutritious. One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains:
Calories: 173
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
Carbs: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
Copper: 23% of the RDI
Manganese: 26% of the RDI
Selenium: 56% of the RDI
The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving. Now that you know this, it would be a nice idea to include nuts in your diet and especially if you are trying to lose weight, a cup of almonds usually the recommended start.
Source: Healthline.com
