Nuts!

from Newsmax.com Health Alerts

Your best source of medicine may at this moment be hanging from a tree — in the form of a nut! According to experts, nuts are not merely a tasty food but also a natural source of medicine which can target specific health problems.

Eating just a handful of nuts every day can lead to enormous health advantages. If you like many different kinds of nuts, you’re in a position to reap the greatest benefits, since different nuts “dispense” different “medicine” according to their unique blend of fats, anti-oxidants, and nutrients. (And weight-watchers need not fret: most of the fats in nuts are healthful, and the calories in a small handful are negligible.)

Nuts of all kinds, for instance, are good for the heart. Researchers at Loma Linda University have discovered that people who eat five or more servings of nuts a week are half as likely to have a heart attack than those who only eat them occasionally, such as less than once a week.

Experts have even found that certain nuts help certain specific heart problems. Macadamia nuts, for example, are high in antioxidants and also in monounsaturated fat, which is the kind that lowers harmful LDL cholesterol. The one/two punch of the antioxidants and the monounsaturated fat has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps prevent arterial damage.

Peanuts, though not a true nut, also help maintain healthy arteries. They contain high levels of the B vitamin folate, which lowers levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is harmful to arteries and raises the risk of heart disease. Lowly peanuts are also high in L-arginine, which the body converts to circulation-improving nitric oxide.

Pistachios may be the nut of choice for those with high blood pressure. Penn State researchers recently found that small amounts can dramatically lower blood pressure: just 1.5 ounces a day of shelled pistachios can drop systolic pressure (the top number) by almost five points! Again, it’s a one/two punch of healthy fats and antioxidants which in this case relax blood vessels and allow blood to circulate with less pressure.

Are you facing osteoporosis in your future? A handful of almonds every day can help raise calcium to bone-protecting levels.

Trouble with your prostate? Brazil nuts contain selenium and Vitamin E, both of which can reduce cancer risk. Just two Brazil nuts a day may do the trick.

Eye problems? Try pecans — they’re especially high in anti-oxidants, which fight the development of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Suffer from depression? Walnuts may help: they’re the only nut containing alpha linolenic acid, which the body converts to omega-3 fatty acids that help maintain healthy levels of mood-elevating serotonin in the brain. Eating walnuts and fish several times a week may reduce symptoms of depression.

To obtain the greatest benefit, does it matter if nuts are roasted, or should they be raw? Experts say either is fine as long as they are unsalted.

Note:  I would disagree with the last statement regarding raw versus roasted.  In my opinion raw would be best, as it generally is for most foods - DQ