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Go
nuts
Four
favourite varieties are packed with healthy reasons to get crackin’
Nuts
add flavour and crunch to any meal and they’re chock-full of
vitamins, minerals and healthy unsaturated fats. Need more reasons
to love nuts? Read on, then break out that holiday nutcracker and
get crackin’.
Almonds
A June 2006 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
showed an ounce of almonds provides as many flavonoids—compounds
that fight free radicals and reduce inflammation—as a 12-cup
serving of broccoli or a cup of green tea.
In 24 almonds (1 oz.): 160 calories; 14 g fat (1 g sat, 9 g mono);
3 g fibre; vitamin E (35% daily value); magnesium (20% dv).
Walnuts
Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat linked
with reduced risk of heart disease, improved glucose control and,
most recently, stronger bones. In a study of 23 overweight people
published earlier this year in Nutrition Journal, increasing intake
of ALA via walnuts and flaxseed oil decreased the rate of bone breakdown.
In 14 walnut halves (1 oz.): 190 calories; 18 g fat (1.5 g sat,
2.5 g mono); 2 g fibre; manganese (50% dv); copper (20% dv).
Pecans
Last year in Nutrition Research, researchers from Loma Linda University
reported that pecans contribute significant amounts of gamma-tocopherol,
the major form of vitamin E. Pecans also provide notable amounts
of zinc, a mineral most often found in animal-based foods.
In 20 pecan halves (1 oz.): 200 calories; 20 g fat (2 g sat, 12
g mono); 3 g fiber; manganese (60% dv); copper (15% dv); vitamin
E (6% dv).
Pistachios
Research presented earlier this year at an Experimental Biology
conference suggests that lutein, an antioxidant in pistachios, helps
protect “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidization by free
radicals. Oxidized LDL contributes to the development of plaque
in arteries.
In 49 pistachios (1 oz.): 160 calories; 13 g fat (1.5 g sat, 7 g
mono); 3 g fiber; copper & vitamin B6 (20% dv); manganese (18%
dv); phosphorus & thiamin (15% dv).
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