Q: How important are nuts in our diet?
A: Nuts are very important in our diet. They are close to being nature’s perfect food. Unfortunately, only about a third of Americans eat any nuts at all on any particular day. Americans average only about half of the 1.5 ounces a day that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says could reduce the risk of heart disease.
It’s only in recent years that researchers are confirming the value of nuts in our diet. A recent report from the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science nicely reviews the value of diets that include a healthy portion of nuts. Nuts play a role in the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and more recently, the Portfolio diet, all of which are considered heart-healthy diets.
Most nuts are rich sources of protein with essential amino acids; healthy unsaturated fats; omega-3 fatty acids; vitamins E, K and folic acid; minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, potassium and zinc; fiber; and antioxidants. They also are an excellent source of phytochemicals and flavonoids.
Even peanuts, which are actually legumes like beans or peas and grow on the ground, unlike true nuts, have much the same value as what we call “tree nuts.” Most of what we call nuts are tree nuts and include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and even chestnuts.
All nuts, including peanuts, have many of the same physical and nutritional attributes. Peanuts have more protein than tree nuts and are on a par with poultry, fish or meat in that category. Peanut butter can have the same nutritional benefits as peanuts except for the brands that have added salt and sugar or even some trans fat.
Numerous studies have shown that people who eat nut-rich diets — say an ounce or two or a handful of any kind of nut, most days of the week — can improve their cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, reduce their risk of heart disease and have beneficial effects on inflammation and blood vessel function. A large Harvard study found that women who ate at least 5 ounces of nuts per week were 35 percent less likely to suffer heart attacks than women who ate less than 1 ounce a month. Nuts have even been proven to be valuable in diabetic diets.
The only downside to nuts is their high calorie content — an ounce of nuts can contain as many as 200 calories. However, recent studies have shown a lower risk of weight gain associated with nut consumption. It appears that nuts tend to fill you up, leading to lower consumption of other foods. Also, not all the calories in nuts may be absorbed by the gut, passing through without being digested. The best dietary strategy for nuts is to eat them in place of junk foods, chips and cookies.
The only people who need to avoid eating nuts are those with allergies to peanuts or tree nuts. However, people with the common peanut allergy may be able to eat tree nuts.
