Peter Paul Almond Joy’s got nuts.
Peter Paul Mounds don't.
Sometimes you feel like a nut.
Sometimes you don't!
Do you remember that jingle? I can’t get it out of my head. Now you won’t be able to either.
You’re welcome.
Since I toured a macadamia nut farm on the Big Island of Hawaii, I decided to dedicate this week’s Food Spotlight to the nut.
First, let me clear up a common misconception regarding America’s favorite nut, the peanut. It’s actually not a nut at all, it’s a bean. I know, what are they doing calling it a nut then? Beats me. I guess “peanut” sounded better than “peabean.”
Actually, the food industry isn’t completely nuts (sorry, I couldn’t resist), they’ve grouped the peanut into the nut category because it has some of the same nutritional qualities as real nuts.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and a host of other prestigious institutions, nuts are good for your heart. They contain unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, L-arginine, fiber, Vitamin E and plant sterols. All substances that are thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Although the FDA will only allow food companies to say that evidence “suggests but does not prove” that eating nuts reduces your risk of heart disease, the data is pretty amazing.
For example, a Harvard study tracked 86,016 women between the ages of 34 and 59 for 14 years. And, “During that time, women who ate at least 5 ounces of nuts per week were 35% less likely to suffer heart attacks than women who ate less than 1 ounce a month…Moreover, a careful analysis of other risk factors showed that the protective power of nuts could not be explained away by other dietary patterns (fat, fiber, vegetables, fruits), health habits (smoking, drinking, exercise), or risk factors (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, family history).”
The good news doesn’t stop there. While it’s important to tout the heart-healthy benefits of nuts, it’s also interesting to note what nuts are lacking—specifically, cholesterol and sodium. Nuts are naturally void of both substances.
Thus eating nuts is heart-healthy, but there’s a catch. There always is, right?
Nuts are almost 80% fat and even though it’s the good kind of fat, that means they pack a lot of calories in a teeny, tiny serving. Take a look at the calorie count for a handful of the following unsalted nuts.
NUTRITIONAL DATA FOR A 1 OUNCE SERVING | |||
# Nuts in a 1 oz. serving | Calories | Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio | |
Walnut | 14 halves | 190 | 4:1 |
Macadamia | 10-12 | 200 | 7:1 |
Pecan | 18-20 halves | 200 | 20:1 |
Cashew | 16-18 | 160 | 47:1 |
Pistachio | 45-47 | 160 | 52:1 |
Hazelnut | 18-20 | 180 | 90:1 |
Pine nut | 150-157 | 160 | 300:1 |
Brazil Nut | 6-8 | 190 | 1144:1 |
Almond | 20-24 | 160 | 2030:1 |
Peanut | 28 | 170 | ** |
** Peanuts have zero omega-3s
Yowza! Almost 200 calories in a handful. Not surprisingly, the recommended daily serving is only a little more than a handful, 1.5 ounces.
Before you say, “Forget it, I’m not wasting my precious calories on nuts,” consider this. Studies suggest that eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fiber in nuts help you feel full longer, so you eat less during the day.
Does it matter which nuts you choose? Yes it does.
The last column in the table above lists the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. You want to choose nuts with the lowest ratio here, i.e., the nuts at the top of the list.
Why should you care about omega-6 and omega-3?
We are a culture that consumes far too many omega-6 foods—processed and fast foods—and omega-6 is an inflammatory compound. Too much inflammation in the body leads to ill health.
Russell Greenfield, MD, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said, "We always thought anything with an ‘itis’ at the end involved inflammation, such as arthritis or appendicitis. But even the illnesses without an ‘itis’ at the end, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, even Alzheimer's disease, may be triggered in part by inflammation.”
To correct our inflammatory diet, we need to eat more foods high in omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory.
This is why Dr. Oz is such a fan of walnuts. They're heart-healthy and high in omega-3s. It's a win-win. The worst choice is (gasp!) the peanut. Unfortunately, my beloved friend needs to be sidelined as he’s completely void of omega-3s. Crap! Good thing I didn’t know about this problem when I was pregnant because I lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
So, grab a handful of nuts, pop them in your mouth, sprinkle them on some oatmeal, or toss ‘em in a salad, but remember to eat them raw or dry roasted. Salted nuts or ones dipped in chocolate and surrounded by caramel and coconut don’t count!
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