The top 7 nuts you should eating for good health – Times of India

Nuts are easy and healthy snack options. These bite-sized snacks are nutritional powerhouses packed with heart-healthy fats, vitamins, fibre and proteins. Nuts boost your overall health and are especially good in reducing the risk of heart diseases.

Here is a list of seven nuts and their health benefits:

Eating almonds can help reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL), total cholesterol and oxidized LDL cholesterol, all of which are bad for the heart. This makes almond the heart-healthy nuts. Almonds are also low in calories that can be a part of your weight loss plan. It also helps in lowering the blood pressure in overweight people. The wonder nut also promotes beneficial gut bacteria, including Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.

A handful of almonds have 161 calories.

A diet rich in cashew helps improve symptoms of metabolic syndrome. A study found that a diet with 20 per cent calories coming from cashews improves the blood pressure in people with metabolic syndrome. Though is found that cashews have no significant effects on the body weight or blood sugar levels.

A handful of cashews contain 155 calories.

Just like most other nuts, hazelnuts have a beneficial effect on heart disease. Hazelnuts help in lowering the inflammation and reducing the triglyceride levels. It also helps in increasing the Vitamin E levels in the blood along with decreasing the bad cholesterol.

Brazil nuts originate from a tree in Amazon and are greatly rich in selenium. Selenium is a mineral that acts as an antioxidant. The mineral is used for various bodily functions.

A handful of Brazilian nuts provide you with 100% of the required daily intake for selenium.

Walnuts are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Eating walnuts everyday helps in reducing bad cholesterol and in maintaining the blood flow through the circulatory system. Walnuts also help in reducing inflammation, which in turn keeps a number of diseases at bay. Walnuts also have beneficial effects on the brain, say studies.

A handful of walnuts contain 182 calories.

Pistachios are high in fibre and just like almonds, pistachios help in improving the cholesterol level by decreasing the bad cholesterol. It also helps in increasing the good cholesterol (HDL). It also helps by improving the blood pressure, reducing weight and oxidative status. Oxidative stress is the blood levels of the oxidized chemicals that can contribute to heart disease.

A handful of pistachios contain around 156 calories.

Peanuts are not tree nuts and belong to the legume family. But they have a similar nutrient just like the tree nuts. A study conducted on 1,20,000 people found that peanuts intake was associated with a lower risk of death. Another study found that women who ate peanuts five times a week had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Asthma condition improved in children and mother who ate peanuts more than once a week. It's best to choose plain peanuts over the oily ones.

A handful of peanuts contain 176 calories.

Nuts have a wide range of essential nutrients and thus must be included in the daily diet. Make sure to choose nuts that are minimally processed and have no added ingredients. The processed varieties are full of salt and sugar, which defeats the purpose of having them.v

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The top 7 nuts you should eating for good health - Times of India