Nuts are a very popular food. At one point or another, you might have enjoyed nuts; especially if you like ‘gari soakings’. However, if you were like me you were cautioned to never eat nuts because they were not good for you.
With growing up comes knowledge, so here are 5 benefits of eating nuts whether it be groundnut, cashew, almonds and other nuts.
Nuts Help To Lose Weight
Although they’re considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts may actually help you lose weight. Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain.
What’s more, even though the calorie counts listed for nuts are quite high, studies have shown that your body doesn’t absorb all of them. This is because a portion of fat stays trapped within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion.
Nuts Can Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts is believed to be due in part to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Almonds appear to reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
Nuts Are High in Fiber
Fiber provides many health benefits. Although your body can’t digest fiber, the bacteria that live in your colon can. Many types of fiber function as prebiotics or “food” for your healthy gut bacteria. Your gut bacteria then ferment the fiber and turn it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
In addition, fiber helps you feel full and reduces the number of calories you absorb from meals.
Nuts Are Loaded With Antioxidants
Nuts are an antioxidant powerhouse. Antioxidants help control free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced as a normal part of metabolism. Free radical production increases in response to heavy sun exposure, stress, pollution and other causes.
Nuts Are Delicious, Versatile and Widely Available
Nuts are undeniably tasty and satisfying. They can be enjoyed whole, or chopped up and sprinkled on food.
In general, it’s healthiest to eat nuts raw or roast them. At the end of the day, nuts are a highly nutritious and super tasty food that can fit into almost everyone’s diet.