This article written by Sheela Krishnaswamy was first published in The Times of India dated March 13, 1999.
Late last year, the British Medical Journal printed a study on frequent nut consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. This study which ran for a number of years from 1980, was done on over 86,000 women from 34 to 59 years of age, who had not been diagnosed of coronary heart disease, stroke or cancer. It concluded that frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack. In other words, if you eat nuts frequently, you have less chance of getting heart disease.
A study conducted some years ago on Seventh Day Adventists concluded similarly that those who consumed nuts frequently experienced fewer fatal coronary heart disease events and non-fatal myocardial infarctions when compared to those who consumed nuts less than once a week.
Though nuts have been a part of Indian cuisine for decades, they have acquired a bad reputation amongst the calorie-conscious because of their fat content. Use of nuts is a definite no-no for the dieters.
However, nuts are not made of fat only! They contain several other nutrients which can be useful for the body. The most widely used nuts in India are coconut, groundnut (peanut), almond, cashew nut, pistachio nut and walnut. These nuts give anything from 444 to 687 calories for 100 gm. More than half of these calories comes from fat. The remaining calories come from protein and carbohydrates in almost equal quantity Apart from coconut, which has less protein, the others contain about 15 to 25 gm of protein, with groundnut being the highest. Plant protein is now believed to be better than animal protein.
Almond is exceptionally high in calcium and phosphorus, both of which are required for good bones, teeth, muscle contraction, etc. Almonds when taken regularly help in maintaining the smooth functions of the brain, nerves, bones, liver, etc. Groundnut scores the highest in niacin and folic acid content. Both belong to vitamin B group. Niacin is important in breaking down of carbohydrate, protein and fat while folic acid is required for the red cells in the blood. Recent studies have shown that folic acid helps to control homocysteine levels in the blood, which is a risk factor in heart disease.
Almond, cashew nut, groundnut and walnut are rich sources of minerals like copper (required for iron absorption, breakdown of lipids, etc), manganese (important in enzyme functions), zinc (necessary for growth) and magnesium (needed in bones and other cells).
Though nuts are high in fat, most of these are unsaturated fats. Walnut has about 70 per cent unsaturated fatty acids. One ounce of walnut supplies about 2 gm of omega 3 fatty acids. This Fatty acid protects the heart. Only coconut is high in saturated fat.
Vitamin E, which is a good antioxidant, is another important nutrient found in nuts. Use nuts regularly, they have many advantages.
• Nuts are easy to carry and can be used as energy boosting quick snack.
• Nuts can be used as garnish in cooked dishes or in salads to give a crunchy taste.
• Nuts should be used in small quantities because like all other foods, when taken in excess they could cause problems.
• Nuts may have a protective effect against heart disease because of the important nutrients present in them.
• Nuts can be a part of a healthy diet.
• Nuts should be eaten in their natural form, that is, without salting or frying.
• Lastly, use nuts for more nutrition instead of the oil. For example, leave out the groundnut oil and eat groundnuts instead.
After the oil is extracted from the nuts, the de-oiled groundnut cake is fed to cattle and we are left with the calorie-rich oil. So, the cattle get better nutrition than humans!
