Go Nuts for Nuts
Sat, 2011-01-29 13:06 — steve.mcdonald
I love nuts. Not all nuts. And definitely not the ones that bust your teeth.
I have these memories of hanging out at my grandmothers house as a kid and she would often have a snack bowl out with nuts in the shell and a nut cracker. That would be one highlight of the trip to visit her; sneaking to the nut bowl to work over some shells. As a little guy it made me feel like I was in a strongman competition to crack those things.
As I get older I’ve heard a lot about the fat in nuts and while that hasn’t stopped me much, I can say that it has slowed things down a bit. The real slowing factor would have been the passing of my grandmother a while back. But nuts are still on the menu for me even thought I hear that they are high in fat, can contain deadly amounts of salt, and are a common cause of constipation.
So, what to do about nuts? Well, as of late and for various reasons I am becoming more and more aware of what I am consuming. At the market the other day I noticed a display of nuts in the fruits and vegetables section which got me curious about the healthy quality of nuts. This blog post is going to be about this very issue and the outcome of the research I did on the topic.
I am going to myth-by-myth through my little above list to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of nuts.
Are nuts high in fat?
Quick answer: yes, but not like you would expect.
Nuts are famous for fat, but a 31,000 person study at Loma Linda University found that nuts help keep weight down and lowered the consumers heart disease risk. Interesting enough Loma Linda seems to care a lot about nuts. As recent as May of 2010, they compiled research for 25 different studies across 7 countries to verify that eating just 1/3 of a cup of nuts each day reduces total blood cholesterol by 5.1%, and significantly reduced bad cholesterol by 7.4%. The overall outcome of the study showed that the blood lipid condition (the amount and type of fat and protein living in blood cells) for someone eating 2.3 ounces per day showed marked improvement. Have you heard people talk about clogging their arteries? Well, nuts are a factor in helping to keep that from happening.
Now, not all nuts are equal when it comes to fat, but the most popular nuts end up being helpful in one way or another regardless of their fat content. For example, according to the April 2004 issue of Circulation Magazine, Walnuts contain antioxidants which helps to fight cancer and support the immune system, while lowering bad cholesterol, increasing the elasticity of arteries by more than 60% and helping to fight the hardening of arteries. This is great news! At the same time, Cashews (the tastiest nuts by far in my opinion) while fatty contain 65% unsaturated fats, mostly found in the oiliness of the nut, are an oleic acid based oil which is the type that is considered heart healthy. The fattiest nut at the moment is the Macadamia, but even it makes it into the top 10 healthiest nuts.
Do nuts contain a deadly amount of salt?
Quick answer: Not naturally, but who doesn’t want a salty nut?
This coupled with the fat issue is what gives nuts a bad reputation. So why is salt so bad? Part of that equation is the fact that nearly all salt is comprised of over 95% sodium chloride. Don’t get me wrong. The total absence of sodium in our body would kill us. It is contained in nearly every essential element in the body, from the bodies electrical system to helping cells capture nutrients from food. So how does sodium get the bad rep? This has everything to do with high levels of sodium chloride being positively correlated with bad health conditions like heart disease, stomach cancer, high blood pressure and stroke.
The good news is that most sodium consumption for people in found in the consumption of processed foods. If you want to drop your sodium consumption and make more room for salty nuts in your diet, then cut back on your overall consumption of processed foods. Another way to unload sodium trapped in your body is getting a good sweaty workout. Sweating it up releases sodium. This is partly how working out is said to help your heart. However, like I said, we need sodium to function. This is also why in some very hot climates people carry salt tablets (to offset their significant loss of sodium).
So are all salts equal? Is Kosher healthier than Sea Salt, is healthier than table salt? Sadly, the answer is no in terms of sodium chloride, HOWEVER Kosher Salt contains not additives or preservatives. This is completely off topic to discuss additives and preservatives so we won’t go there. But all of that to say, these salts are all about equal when it comes to sodium. But for other reasons, going with unrefined Kosher Salt looks to be the best route.
I have read that pepper is a much healthier alternative. I have no idea what a peppered nut would taste like, so I might try that soon to see if it works. The idea with salt is that it is punctuating the flavor of the food with which it is used. Apparently freshly ground pepper can do the same thing in smaller amounts. I will add a note to this once I have given it a try (sounds like crazy talk to me, but I will try it out).
All of this to say: nuts don’t contain deadly amounts of salt, unless you salt them. In which case, go with the unsalted nuts that taste good (cashews and walnuts and pecans).
Do nuts cause constipation?
Quick answer: Not so much, but it depends on the nut.
Some insoluble fiber found in nuts can be the very thing pushing everything through your digestive tract. Not all nuts being equal, there seems to be consensus that Brazil Nuts are the most effective at fighting the onset of constipation. In fact, it seems that nuts actually help to prevent it.
So all of that to say, if you want to increase your health, go grab some walnuts or cashews. But if you want to really be healthy, then examine your sodium intake and immediately throw out your salted peanuts or candy coated nuts. Here is my novice advice: go buy a cross section of the healthiest kinds of raw nuts and try them out. The short list on healthy nuts is: Walnuts, Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Brazil Nuts and Macadamia Nuts. Which ones taste the best to you? Hop on the web and research what is in that nut and how much would be a healthy limit for a given day? And then… go nuts!
Articles that helped me in my research:
http://www.llu.edu/public-health/news/news-nuts-improve-blood-lipids.page
http://www.naturalhealthontheweb.com/nutrition/macadamia-nuts.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/902091/why_are_walnuts_so_good_for_you.html?cat=5
http://www.healthcastle.com/fiber-solubleinsoluble.shtml
http://www.13.waisays.com/constipation.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2076765/10_salt_alternatives_how_to_spice_up.html?cat=51
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13273.php
