The beneficial impact of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular health is largely due to the liberal use of nuts. The November 2005 issue of National Geographic Magazine featured three people groups who are considered the healthiest people on earth, whose diets include nuts and grains.

Here are at least 10 questions you may want to consider before you go nuts:

1. What are some of the nutritional benefits from eating nuts, and they have enough protein? Nuts have as much or more protein content than meat and have no uric acid nor cholesterol. You won't get vitamin C from nuts, but they are some of nature's healthiest foods.

2. Is it better to have nuts salted or unsalted? In general, nuts taste better when roasted, however this process destroys up to 75% of the vitamin B1 content.

3. What's wrong about having salted nuts? Adding salt to nuts is a really poor way of preserving them. In fact, salt tends to mask our ability to detect spoilage. The amount of salt added to packaged nuts is unhealthy and can be dangerous for both children and adults.

4. Which nuts are the most common? The most common of all nuts are coconuts and peanuts (based on world production). However, coconuts have the largest amount of saturated fats of all the nuts.

5. Are nuts fattening? Nuts are actually less fattening than meat, milk, cheese, or sweets (when you compare caloric values). The fat content of nuts are mostly monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are easily metabolized.

6. Do nuts make you overweight, or can they cause obesity? Nuts do not cause obesity. On the contrary, they help you lose weight when used as replacement for high calorie foods int he diet. As stated above, nuts are less fattening than most foods commonly used in our diet.

7. Are nuts good for people with diabetes? Nuts are naturally low carb foods. They are perfect for diabetics. However, people with digestive problems should be careful to chew nuts properly since they may produce indigestion.

8. What is the best way to eat nuts? Nuts are best eaten raw or lightly roasted and in quantities of about 2 ozs at a time. Blanching in hot water helps to make them more digestible and helps to preserve the nutrients.

9. Why do nuts tend to spoil so easily? Nuts have a very high content of unsaturated fatty acids. The oxygen in the air easily attack and react with (oxidize) these chemicals and the nuts can become rancid. There are various means of preserving the food value in nuts, e.g. making peanut butter with peanuts.

10. Are there any adverse conditions associated with the use of nuts in the diet? Yes. Some nuts can cause allergenic reactions, especially in small children. Nuts should not be given to infants under the age of 1 year old. Some nut milk may be a good way to introduce young children to the nutritive world of nuts.

And here is another (a bonus) that I just thought of, and that you may find interesting...

Is there any indication of the use of nuts in the diet in the Bible, for example? Yes. We read this instruction way back in the Book of Genesis:
'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."' Genesis 1:29, see also Genesis 43:11

Are you nuts? Well, go nuts today. They're good for your health!

Bentley Thompson

Bentley Thompson works with an Atlanta-based engineering consulting firm as the director of Ground Penetrating Radar services. He is very passionate about health and healthy living.

In his spare time he reads health books and periodicals. His hobbies include computer networking, the Internet, and music.

For years he spent several hours per day at the computer but has recently developed diabetes. Now he manages his illness with daily exercise and diet. He shares his "come-back" experience on one of his his websites.

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