Nuts are gaining in popularity due to their endless health benefits and how good they taste! Sure, eating in moderation is key, of course. You cannot expect to eat a lot of nuts and still remain slim and toned. The key is to consume them according to their serving size. So you know how much to consume in a day, do you know what benefits they actually bring to our body?
1, Peanut.
一，花生。
What do they contain?
High amount of protein, monounsaturated fats, arginine (amino acids that are involved in our body producing nitric oxide), folate.
What are the benefits?
Provide protection for our heart and blood vessel. Lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, and therefore lower the risk of getting heart diseases. Lower rates of getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Increase production of red blood cell. Lower risks of new-born getting allergies.
How to eat them?
Try to avoid pre-packaged peanuts that are usually salted or flavored. Try to buy those that have as little additives as possible, or get raw peanuts and roast them on your own. Same goes to peanut butter, try to look for those that are as raw as possible.
2, Almond.
二，杏仁。
What do they contain?
High amount of fiber and protein, a large number of healthy fats, more omega 6 than omega 3. Good source of antioxidants, such as Vitamin E and selenium. Do contain bone strengthening elements such as magnesium and calcium. Also contains zinc, copper, phosphorus, manganese, and niacin.
What are the benefits?
Great for keeping bones healthy and boosting the immune system. Lower cholesterol and blood sugar, thus good for preventing any heart diseases. Help to fight certain cancer. Reduce cravings, which is helpful for weight loss and obesity. Reduce inflammation caused by type 2 diabetes.
How to eat them?
Plain almonds carry more nutrients than toasted one, but toasted ones do have great health benefits too. Almond butter is also a great alternative to peanut butter.
3, Cashew.
三，腰果。
What do they contain?
High in protein and carbohydrate, but low in fat content, containing more omega-6 than omega-3. Contain a healthy mono-unsaturated fat called oleic acid. Great source of copper, iron, and zinc. Contains beta-carotene and other antioxidants such as Vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin.
What are the benefits?
Great for boosting the immune system and strong antioxidant properties in the body. Also helps in healing any injuries and wounds, and great for improving senses like eyesight, taste, and smell. Helps in increasing the production of red blood cell and lower blood pressure, which is great for the heart. They also contain collagen, which is great for the bones and connective tissues in the body.
How to eat them?
Raw cashews contain a shell with toxic properties, so make sure to soak them and toast them before consuming. Cashews are well used in a lot of Asian dishes. Since they can be creamier, they are commonly used in cheesecakes and desserts. Cashew butter is yet another great alternative to peanut butter for people with allergies towards peanut.
4, Walnut.
四，核桃。
What do they contain?
Higher in Omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids, and also lots of healthy fats. Rich in antioxidant elements, such as Vitamin E, folate, but particularly ellagic acid. Great source of phosphorus and magnesium, and also contain lecithin, vitamin B6, and copper. Contains a high level of serotonin.
What are the benefits?
Top health food for the slowing down the aging process, even Alzheimer's disease, helps the brain from degenerating. Help reduce blood glucose level, which is associated with diabetes. Also do reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, thus reducing the risk of getting heart diseases, and is also great in maintaining a normal flow of blood around the circulatory system.
How to eat them?
Walnuts spoil faster than other kinds of nuts, so it is advisable to store them in the refrigerator or the freezer. It is more common to have them in salads and come baked goods.
5, Pecan.
五，胡桃。
What do they contain?
High in monounsaturated fats in the form of oleic acid, higher in omega-6 fatty acid over omega-3. Rich in antioxidant such as Vitamin E, polyphenols, and also rich in thiamine. Contain a small amount of copper, magnesium, and manganese, and contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals.
What are the benefits?
Good for the brain, nervous system and neurological function, and can be a defense against Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig's diseases. Also helps to lower cholesterol and improves the defense systems in our body, which is effective to prevent any cardiovascular diseases. They are also able to keep one's appetite filled to prevent overeating.
How to eat them?
Pecans are less common to eat on its own, but rather eaten with something else. They can be sweet or savory, as they can be seen in pies and candies, and also as spices in other dishes.
6, Pistachio.
六，开心果。
What do they contain?
Very rich in protein and fiber, and low in calories as well. Rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Do contain antioxidant elements such as Vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin, thiamine and beta-carotene. It also contains a compound called oleanolic acid, and some other elements like iron, zinc copper and manganese.
What are the benefits?
Keep your heart healthy by keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure low, thus reducing your risk of getting heart diseases. Can be great for weight as it keeps your body fat in check and also helps to stall appetite. Effective to keep blood sugar low, great for people with diabetes. Have antioxidants that are great for your eyes and also protect your liver. Also helps with the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, keeping your nervous system in a healthy state.
How to eat them?
Pistachio can be eaten after removing from the shell, and they are a popular snack to consume.
7, Hazelnut.
七，榛子。
What do they contain?
High in Vitamin E antioxidant, omega-6 fats (more than omega-3 fats), monounsaturated fats, manganese, and also Vitamin B Biotin. Also contains other nutritious elements such as thiamine, folate, copper, and magnesium. They are also shown to have a significant amount of proanthocyanidins and polyphenols.
What are the benefits?
Just like any other nuts, they are good for the health with all the symptoms that prevent any heart diseases, such as lowering the level of bad cholesterol and increase the level of the good ones, lower blood pressure, and keeping blood flow at a normal rate through the circulatory systems. Also have antioxidant properties, such as helping our body produce more Vitamin E in our blood and strengthen the antioxidant in our body. Since they do contain biotin, they are great in keeping our hair and skin in a good condition as well. They also do have the ability to release radicals that help protect the good fats in our body.
How to eat them?
Hazelnut is commonly found in things associated with coffee and chocolate, such as coffee drinks and chocolate spreads.
8, Macadamia.
八，夏威夷果。
What do they contain?
Contain the highest amount of fats among all nuts, but research has shown that the fats are usually healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fats, oleic acid, omega-3 fatty acid, and an unusual fatty acid called omega-7 palmitoleic acid. They are also rich in antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, and they also contain other elements such as manganese and thiamin.
What are the benefits?
With high amount of healthy fats, they are also great for the heart and reducing the risk of getting diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, by lowering the bad cholesterol and also protecting the good ones. As they are rich in manganese, they are great for keeping skin in a good condition by keeping the cells radical-free. They are also great for our nervous system, as well as the immune system by converting carbohydrates to energy to prevent the over building of fat content in our body.
How to eat them?
Macadamia is delicious and they can certainly be eaten on their own. But it is pretty common for them to be converted to macadamia oil due to their high-fat content.
Nuts are healthy and delicious, though they are not the cheapest food to consume. Again, moderation is key and before you indulge in any of these, make sure your body is not allergic to any of these nuts like many people are actually allergic to peanuts. If your body is good against these nuts, then feel free to indulge in them and keep your body healthy simultaneously!
“Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They’re lonely. They’re missing somebody. They’re in love with someone they probably shouldn’t be in love with. They have secrets you wouldn’t believe. They wish, dream, hope, and they look out the window whenever they’re in the car or on a bus or a train and they watch the people on the streets and wonder what they’ve been through. They wonder if there are people out there like them. They’re like you and you could tell them everything and they would understand. You’re never alone.”
*Disclaimer: The writer is not an expert, a nutritionist or a dietician of any kind. The information given is all dependent on the research she had done and are considered to be appropriate to be up on this list. If you have any allergies towards this food, or had any unpleasant history with the food mentioned, then please omit them completely. The writer would not be responsible for any medical issues that would happen due to the extracted information is shown.
