Nuts: How Healthy Are They?

Are you familiar with this list?

1. Almonds
2. Hazelnuts
3. Cashews
4. Pecans
5. Walnuts
6. Pine nuts
7. Pistachios
8. Macadamia nuts
9. Peanuts (not considered nuts)

It’s a list of nuts most of us probably know and like, but are you consuming them regularly?

Why are peanuts not considered nuts?

Compared to true nuts, peanuts have more protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols than any other nuts out there. The difference with Peanuts is that they basically belong to another family of plants, the legumes. They grow underground unlike true nuts which grow on trees. It’s their appearance which makes them seem like they’re nuts.

Avoid eating too many nuts. A small cupful per day is enough.

Eating too many nuts isn’t healthy either. It’s all because of phytic acid. Besides grains and legumes, nuts also contain a lot of phytic acid. Phytic acid or phytates when eaten bind to minerals like iron, zinc, chromium, calcium, magnesium and manganese in your gastrointestinal tract and can deplete these mineral levels in your body. Phytates also inhibit some enzymes we need for digestion.

Which nuts are higher in omega-3 fatty acids? How about omega-6 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids lower high blood fat (triglycerides) levels and also lower inflammation levels in the body. These are just two of the many health benefits from getting sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from your diet. Hence, omega-3 fatty acids are called the good ones. Walnuts contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. So if you want to diversify your sources of these healthy, beneficial fats eat walnuts!

Omega-6 fatty acids on the other hand are dubbed as the bad ones. They’re pro-inflammatory and increase your chances of developing heart disease and being overweight. What’s critical though is the ratio between your omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids is more frequent than a deficiency of omega-6 fatty acids due to the modern diet which is high in processed foods. The optimal omega-6 : omega-3 ratio for a healthy adult is 1 : 1. Unfortunately, a normal western diet has a ratio of 15-17 : 1 (omega-6 : omega-3).

The infographic below shows you the phytic acid, omega-3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid content of the nuts mentioned at the beginning of this article:

Nut	Omega-3 Fatty Acids In milligrams	Omega-6 Fatty Acids In milligrams	Phytic Acid Content In milligrams
Almonds	6mg	12053mg	1138-1400mg
Hazelnuts	87mg	5499mg	648-1000mg
Cashews	161mg	7782mg	190-4960mg
Pecans	986mg	20630mg	180-4520mg
Walnuts	9079mg	38092mg	982mg
Pine nuts	112mg	33606mg	200mg
Pistachios	254mg	13636mg	290-2830mg
Macadamia nuts	206mg	1296mg	150-2620mg
Peanuts	Almost 0mg	16000mg	952mg (roasted)
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Note: The values listed for omega-3 fatty acid, omega-6 fatty acid and phytic acid contents are based on per 100-gram serving.

Do we eat them raw or roasted?

Some people like them raw, others prefer roasted. And now you ask, which one is actually healthier? According to nutrition experts, there is little difference on the nutrient content of roasted and raw nuts. On the downside, if you want your nuts roasted, there’s a chance that the water content and vitamin B concentrations of roasted nuts are decreased. If you do choose roasted nuts, look for ones which are oven roasted (dry roasted) and not those roasted using vegetable oils (fried).

NOTE: Buying your nuts in a bulk bin may be cheaper, but unhealthier. More often than not, the vegetable oil used to roast (or fry) your nuts are of poor quality. They easily become rancid. Examples of these oils include sunflower and canola oils, both of which are high in omega-6 fatty acids and pro-inflammatory. When exposed to air, they can oxidise and become stale.

In Summary

There is a wide variety of healthy nuts to choose from. Use the table above to choose which ones are best for your nutrient needs and of course, taste. Dry roasted nuts are best for your health and the bulk bins. Nuts really are such a satisfying snack when you need that afternoon pick-me-up and the good balance of essential fats is another bonus! They key we believe comes back to moderation. It is ideal to soak nuts as you would other phytate-containing grains and legumes, over night would be best making sure you dispose of the water afterwards. It's important to note that we are far less likely to eat as many nuts as we are grains or legumes which would make up the bulk of a meal. We tend to eat nuts as a snack between meals as opposed to being a significant component of a meal, so eating nuts separately from other foods is an ideal way to avoid the phytates' anti-nutrient effect, because for this to happen they must come into contact with minerals as they arrive into the gastrointestinal tract from the food we eat. Enjoy nuts in moderation, and ideally they should be soaked.