The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

It is one of the healthiest foods out there, but how much of it is recommended to consume? - Walla! health

2023-04-03T16:21:10.876Z


Dozens, if not hundreds of studies have shown the nutritional and health benefits of nuts. But does that mean you can eat as many of them as you want?


Everything you need to know about dietary fiber (Wala system!)

We publish news here every morning about studies conducted on the consumption of nuts - most of them are very positive.

Some of them show that eating 20 grams of nuts a day is associated with a 20 to 70 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, diabetes, infections, and mortality from respiratory diseases.

And others show that eating about 30 grams of nuts just 3 times a week was associated with a 39 percent reduction in mortality.



In addition to all of these, there is evidence that consuming nuts can reduce indicators of inflammation (like CRP), reduce oxidative damage, and improve blood pressure.

A large 2022 study examining medical studies examining the effect of nuts on blood lipids showed that overall nut consumption had no effect on blood lipids, although cashews improved HDL (the "good" cholesterol) values, and pistachios lowered total cholesterol .

A large number of studies indicate that despite the high calorie content in nuts, they do not contribute to weight gain and may even protect against diabetes and obesity.

And finally, many studies from recent years indicate that the consumption of nuts improves the health of the intestinal bacteria (the microbiome).

What is the source of the health benefits of nuts?

  • The nuts are rich in antioxidant vitamins (such as vitamin E)

  • The nuts are rich in essential minerals such as magnesium

  • The nuts are rich in dietary fiber

  • Some nuts like walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids

  • Brazil nuts are rich in selenium

  • Pistachios are rich in prebiotic fibers (which feed the gut bacteria)

A handful a day is great.

Nuts (Photo: ShutterStock)

Can we consume nuts freely?

It turns out that the health benefits of nuts do not increase beyond the consumption of 20 grams of nuts per day.

It is possible that increased consumption of nuts increases the risk of health problems such as stroke.

That is, we can achieve health benefits with eating a handful of nuts per day, but a larger amount can harm our health.

What are the possible problems with nuts?

First and foremost, it should be remembered that nuts are one of the most allergenic foods and it is estimated that approximately one percent of the population suffers from a nut allergy.



Nuts also contain a high concentration of phytate.

Phytate is the salt formed from phytic acid that binds to minerals.

Because the phytate is formed when the phytic acid binds to minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc - these substances become unavailable for absorption by the intestine.

Therefore, consumption of foods rich in phytate can lead to mineral deficiencies, especially when these foods replace consumption of other foods rich in minerals.

In addition to delaying mineral absorption, phytates also inhibit the activity of a variety of digestive enzymes.



Another problem with walnuts is that they contain a high amount of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Even walnuts, which are known to contain a relatively high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, still contain 3 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. 3. Unlike walnuts, many walnuts contain only a small amount of omega-3. Despite the high content of omega-6 in walnuts, most studies indicate that moderate consumption of them in their unprocessed form has an anti-inflammatory effect, probably due to the existence of additional anti-inflammatory components Like vitamin E, dietary fiber, and polyphenols.



Two unusual nuts in terms of their fat content are macadamia nuts and coconuts.

These two nuts contain a very low amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The fat in macadamia nuts is mostly monounsaturated, while the fat in coconuts is mostly medium saturated fatty acids (MCT).

The coconut is also rich in minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and zinc and B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E. In addition, it is rich in soluble fibers such as inulin, which nourishes the intestinal bacteria and improves the state of the microbiome.



Like other nuts, the coconut also contains phytic acid (although in a smaller amount), so do not overdo its consumption.

So how many nuts can you eat on Passover and in general?

Overall, according to all the studies, nuts are a healthy food, rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Moderate consumption of a handful of nuts per day has health benefits.

But it is recommended to eat a varied diet, and to treat the nuts as a small addition and not to exaggerate their consumption.




Dr. Dalit Driman Medina is an expert in family medicine, integrative and functional medicine - personal and scientifically based treatment for those suffering from chronic diseases

  • health

  • Nutrition and diet

Tags

  • nuts

  • fat

Source: walla

All life articles on 2023-04-03

You may like

Trends 24h

Life/Entertain 2024-03-18T11:27:43.410Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.