For a while, people thought nuts were just tiny little fatty foods. Luckily we now know better! While nuts do include fats, they include the good kinds of fats, on top of a whole bunch of other helpful nutrients! If eaten in moderation, nuts can be a wonderfully healthy addition to your diet! Since there are so many kinds of nuts in the world, there’s sure to be one you’d like have as a healthy snack! Check out these 5 Incredible Health Benefits of Nuts!
5 Incredible Health Benefits of Nuts
1. Great for Your Heart
One of the amazing health benefits of nuts is that they’re great for your heart! In particular, they lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol, keep your arteries’ linings strong, and reduce your chance of getting blood clots. All of this means a healthier heart and lower chances of you developing heart disease or having a heart attack. These benefits are the result of the fiber, fatty acids, and unsaturated fats found in nuts.
2. Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation has been connected with so many health issues, ranging from simple joint soreness, to arthritic pain and cancer. That’s why it’s so great that nuts help reduce inflammation in your body! This anti-inflammatory property comes from the fatty acids and unsaturated fats found in nuts. The best anti-inflammatory nuts are cashews, walnuts, and almonds.
3. Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable
Whether you have diabetes or not, it’s important to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Luckily, stabilizing blood sugar is one of the benefits of nuts! Nuts can help keep your blood sugar under control whether you have diabetes or are just at risk of developing it. Studies have shown that a large variety of nuts (including cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts) in a variety of forms (including raw, unsalted, and dry-roasted) can cause these good results.
4. Prevent Neurodegenerative Diseases
Nuts are tiny, but they have powerful effects! One of the many benefits of nuts is that they can help reduce your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. This is due to all the good Omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts. These fatty acids are critical to good brain health and can help you improve your coordination and memory. Nuts also contain other nutrients, like flavonoids, which help protect your brain cells further! To get these good benefits, try eating more pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts.
5. Aid Weight Loss
Yes, nuts do have fat. But they have good unsaturated fats. And nuts can actually help you lose weight! This is because nuts make you stay full longer as a result of their protein and fiber, reducing overeating. Of course, they only help you lose weight if you eat them in moderation. Too many nuts and instead of helping you lose weight, you’ll gain weight! A good rule of thumb is to stick to eating one handful of nuts per day instead of your usual afternoon or evening snack.
Do you eat nuts?
Dexter Jalagat says
I’d still eat nuts even if there are no health benefits haha
Ronald Gagnon says
I love nuts of all kinds..I always get a couple boxes for christmas..but I had no idea of the wonderful health benefits they provide…I must copy this to my family…Thank you
Amber Ludwig says
Mmmm!!! We re huge nut fans in this house!! Im glad to see they are great for us too!
Colleen says
Nuts have so many good brain health effects! We eat lots of nuts…but then I just love the taste of nuts. Grew up eating fresh walnuts from my grandmas trees!!