Nuts are generally an essential component of your diet because they are a perfect source of plant-based proteins, healthy fibres, fats, and many other nutrients.
These are seeds with a hard outer shell that you have to crack to release their kernel. You can eat nuts as snacks or use them in cooking. Actually, you can buy them from the local store already prepared and ready to eat.
Nuts are not only popular but are enjoyed by people on different kinds of diets such as vegan and keto due to their impressive health benefits.
Although there are many types of nuts, this article will tell you about the health benefits of almonds and pistachios.
Health Benefits of Almonds
Almonds are popular nuts and are readily available nowadays because of their health benefits. They are extracted from an almond tree known as Prunus dulcis. Still raw or roasted nuts, milk, paste, flour, and butter are available in stores.
The following are the health benefits of almond nuts.
Nutrient Rich
Almonds are a good source of nutrients. A small handful of these nuts has 161 calories, 3.5 grams of fibre, 6 grams of fat, 14 grams of fat, high magnesium levels, and decent amounts of phosphorous, vitamin B2, and copper.
Proteins, healthy monounsaturated fats, calcium, zinc, and iron are important nutrients in your body and support several bodily processes.
Great Source of Antioxidants
Antioxidants prevent oxidative stress that damages cells and causes inflammation, diseases such as cancer and ageing.
Almonds’ powerful antioxidants are concentrated in their brown skin layer; thus, you should avoid taking blanched almonds.
Higher Vitamin E Content
Almonds have the highest vitamin E content in the world. One ounce of the nuts gives you 37% of vitamin E’s reference daily intake (RDI). This is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps to lower Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
Lowers Blood Pressure Level
You can get 20% of your magnesium RDI and 32% manganese from almond nuts. Magnesium is the mineral that helps lower blood pressure levels, which contributes to kidney failure, strokes, and heart attacks.
Magnesium deficiency is a major contributor to blood pressure reduction, and adding almonds to your diet can help control your blood pressure.
Further, the fibre content in almonds helps in weight loss and reduces LDL cholesterol that contributes to blood pressure.
Blood Sugar Control
Almonds nuts contain healthy fats, protein, low in carbs, and high fibre, thus an excellent choice for people with diabetes.
Also, these nuts have a remarkably high magnesium content, a mineral helpful in controlling blood sugar and involved in other 300 processes in the body. It’s a mineral that a lot of people don’t get enough of it, yet it plays a vital role in their bodies.
Thus taking almonds can help to correct magnesium deficiency common with type 2 diabetes. This will help to improve insulin functions and lower blood sugar levels in your body.
Health Benefits of Pistachios
The pistachio vera tree seeds are healthy and tasty. These nuts are rich in healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, and fibre. The kernel of pistachio tree seeds or nuts has different colours ranging from yellow to varying shades of green. You have to crack the hard shell first to get the seeds.
Pistachios nuts have been in use since 7000 BC, and today people use them in dishes such as desserts and ice cream.
The following are possible health benefits of pistachios.
Loaded with Nutrients
These nuts are rich in nutrients. One ounce of pistachios has around 49 nuts with 159 calories, 3 grams of fibre, 8 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 13 grams of fat which is 90% unsaturated fats, among others.
Additionally, pistachios have 28% of vitamin B6 RDI. Thus these nuts have higher B6 levels, which are vital for regulating blood sugar and the formation of haemoglobin.
They are rich in potassium, and taking an ounce of these nuts will give you 6% of the RDI.
Contains Antioxidants
The nuts are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects, which is necessary for preventing cell damage and reducing risks of cancer.
Pistachio’s antioxidants level is higher than most nuts and seeds but lower than walnuts and pecans. They have lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants necessary for eye health and tocopherols and polyphenols that help fight heart disease and cancer.
These antioxidants are absorbed from your stomach during digestion.
Rich in Protein and Lower in Calories
Most nuts are high in calories despite their many health benefits. However, this is not the case with pistachios. For instance, pecans have 193 calories, walnuts 185, but pistachios have 159 calories.
On the other hand, an ounce of pistachios gives you 6 grams of protein since a single nut has 20% protein in its weight. Their protein content is second after almonds and higher essential amino acids ratio than other nuts.
Weight-Loss Friendly
Nuts are generally energy-dense food but rich in protein and fibre. That means they give you a feeling of fullness that causes you to eat less.
Further, their fat content is not fully absorbed because it sticks on the cell walls, hindering it from being digested.
You also need to shell the nuts, which takes time thus excellent for mindful eating; you eat fewer in-shell pistachios.
Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Pistachios are high in antioxidants, minerals, fibres, and unsaturated fat. These nuts have cholesterol-lowering effects, thus improving blood pressure and lesser risk of heart disease.
Takeaway
Almond and pistachios have numerous health benefits for your heart, waistline, gut, and eyes. Thus eating these seeds is an excellent way of making your health and wellbeing better.
These nuts have a buttery, rich flavour, so you should avoid eating more than what is required for a day; that is, an ounce per day. Also, opt for plain and unsaturated almonds and pistachios when you buy the ready-made because salted nuts can increase your daily sodium intake levels.
Because of the health benefits of nuts – almonds and pistachios, you can buy them in bulk so that you can use them as snacks or add to dishes to boost your energy and nutrients.