Importance Of Nuts And Oilseeds

Oilseeds and nuts contain good fats, vitamins, fibres, proteins and minerals. They aid in shedding weight because their fats are not soaked up. It also helps to burn down energy and control food intake.

According to a study, making nuts a regular part of a diet aids in controlling your weight and safeguards against chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes)

Due to unsaturated fatty acids, these nuts and oilseeds are exceptional in producing oil from them. Mostly peanut and sunflower oil is extracted, and the most precious is flaxseed oil. These seeds have the goodness of omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent atherosclerosis-related heart diseases.

Table Of Contents

1. Nuts

1.1 Goodness Of Nuts

1.2 Benefits Of Nuts

2. Seeds 

2.1 Benefits Of Seeds

3. The Final Say

4. FAQs

Nuts 

Almonds, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamias, pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, and peanuts are the most widely used nuts in the world. 

The Dietary Guidelines recommend 30 grams of nuts on most days of the week. These nuts and oilseeds are a vital source of unsaturated fatty acids with minimal saturated fat and contain zero cholesterol levels.

They also contain proteins, minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium), vitamins, essential fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and phytochemicals. 

The quantity to be eaten in a day is significantly less, so the amount of protein supplied to our body is undoubtedly less.

The Goodness Of Nuts

International Dietary Guidelines recommend the intake of proteins, mainly mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Regular consumption of nuts and oilseeds can improve your health and reduce the risk of long-term diseases.

Today people are more into non-vegetarian diets, which include chicken, eggs and meats. These foods are high in saturated fats, leading to severe heart diseases and other incurable diseases by increasing the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Instead of eating such food items, you can choose to eat nuts and seeds with a good amount of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which protect against chronic diseases.

PUFA, MUFA and omega 3 and 6 should be consumed by everyone, including vegetarians, non-vegetarians and vegans, as the body does not produce these elements. 

Foods loaded with vitamin E protect the omega-3 from oxidation in nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds). In contrast, walnuts and flax seeds (ground or oil) are excellent sources of omega-3 (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid). Omega 3 fatty acids shield against some cancers and heart diseases because it helps to maintain the fluidity in the cell membrane in the human body.

Health Facts About Nuts 

• Nuts are loaded with nutrients like unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and fibre and reduce the risk of heart diseases.

• Pistas, walnuts, etc., combat inflammation in healthy people and those with medical conditions like diabetes and kidney stones.
• They are loaded with antioxidants that protect the fats in your cells from being damaged by oxidation.
• Though nuts like almonds and pistas may be high in energy and fats, consuming them is not linked with weight gain. In fact, in one of the studies, nuts have been shown to reduce weight.
• They maintain blood vessels' health for proper blood pressure and lower inflammation as they are high in antioxidants.
• They are an excellent source of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats and are low in saturated fats.

Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, psyllium seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds are distinct forms of seeds.

Not only are seeds good for fats and vitamins, but they also provide fibre and carbohydrates. The sources like sunflower also contain reasonable amounts of vitamin E, which is considered to have anti-ageing properties.

Benefits OF Seeds

• Seeds are a significant source of dietary fibre, which keeps your digestion system healthy.
• They aid in shedding weight.
• They reduce the inflammation level in the body, ward off ageing, and lower the risk of heart disease.
• They are rich in minerals like magnesium, selenium, copper and zinc, which are essential for our body.
• Reduces the risk of diabetes

The Final Say

Nuts and seeds are good sources of fats, proteins and other vital vitamins. Incorporating them into your diet helps to provide healthy nutrients to your body. Along with this, nuts and seeds have antioxidants which fight several cancers and cardiovascular diseases. 

They give the feeling of fullness due to fibres and good fats and lower cholesterol levels. Having recommended several nuts and seeds in your diet regularly, good fats and other required nutrients benefit your body in the long term.

FAQs

1. Nuts and seeds are high in fats, then why are nutritionists advised to eat nuts in the diet?

Nuts and seeds are high in good fats (MUFA and PUFA), which help to remove the saturated fats and help to lower cholesterol levels and can consume safely in the diet.

 2. Which nuts and seeds are more beneficial?

It is advisable to have all types of nuts and seeds as every nut has different nutrients which are vital for our body, so rather than consuming only a single type of nuts and seeds, try to eat mixed nuts and seeds or can have different every day.

3. Does grinding or roasting seeds and nuts change their nutrient content?

Roasting nuts and seeds enhances the nutritional content. While grinding will not change its nutritional content.

4 Why is it compulsory to roast flaxseeds before eating?

Raw flaxseeds contain toxins that can harm our health, so roasting the seeds helps to oxidise those toxins and is considered safe to consume.

5. What are the consequences of having excess seeds and nuts?

Due to the presence of phytates and tannins, excess intake of nuts and seeds can lead to indigestion and diarrhoea because of the presence of fats. So it is advisable to eat the recommended amount of this food in your daily routine.

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