best types of nuts for your health

Best types of nuts for your health

11. Coconuts
Like most types of nuts, coconuts contain significant amounts of fat, but unlike other nuts, which contain mostly long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, coconuts provide fat that is almost all in the form of health-promoting short and medium-chain saturated fats, which are different from the saturated fats in animal products. Being shorter in length, these fatty acids are processed differently by the body and are preferentially sent to the liver to be burned as energy.
12. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are another rich source of vitamin E and monounsaturates. Also a very good source of the B vitamin biotin, which promotes healthy skin and hair.Like other types of nuts, hazelnuts lower high cholesterol.One reasons for this - besides hazelnuts high levels of monounsaturated fats - may be their exceptional concentration of copper, a key component in the intracellular form of an important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals that would otherwise damage cholesterol and other lipids (fats). Just 30 grams of hazelnuts supplies 41% of the daily recommended intake.
13. Pecan nuts
The pecan is a delicious nut that, like other types of nuts, owes much of its flavour to its high fat content, most of it in the form of heart-healthy monounsaturated oleic acid. Although this translates to a high calorie count, the pecans endowment of macro- and micro-nutrients justifies its caloric price tag.Pecans concentration of monounsaturated fat and beta-sitosterol are two potential reasons why, in a study recently conducted at New Mexico State University, pecans significantly lowered LDL cholesterol.Despite the fact that, each day, the subjects in the pecan treatment group consumed about 100 grams of pecans, which delivered 459 calories and 44 grams of fat, their body mass index and weight remained unchanged.
14. Pine nuts
Pine nuts are higher in fat and calories than other types of nuts, but are a good source of blood pressure-regulating potassium, iron, copper and zinc and contain more protein than any other nut or seed.They also contain magnesium and potassium, two minerals whose combined effects produce a strong, healthy heartbeat, lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.Taken altogether, pine nuts arginine, monounsaturated fat, and magnesium and potassium content provide powerful effects for counteracting heart disease.
15. Pistachio nuts
Like other types of nuts, pistachios provide valuable amounts of minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.They are the richest source of potassium of all nuts - just 1 ounce/28 grams deliver as much potassium as an orange and 2 ounces/56 grams provide more potassium than a medium-size banana. Both magnesium and potassium are protective against heart disease.They are also an excellent source of protein and fibre. A single once (28g) of roasted pistachio nuts deliver 13% of the recommended daily intake of protein and 12% of the recommended daily amount of fibre. And you get an amazing 47 nuts in one ounce.
16. Chestnuts
Chestnuts are the only low-fat nuts, with a fraction of the calories of other types of nuts. They contain just 1 gram of fat and a little less than 70 calories per 30 grams of dried or roasted nuts.The downside is theyre lower in vitamins and minerals. But theyre still relatively nutritious and provide some carbohydrate.They radically increase their caloric intake once theyre boiled.Of all the different types of nuts, chestnuts are the only nuts that contain vitamin C. Just 100 grams of chestnuts supply 45% of the RDA of this vital antioxidant nutrient.
17. Cashew nuts
Cashews contain more iron per gram than lean rump steak. And if you want to increase the absorption rate of iron, eat them with a glass of orange juice, as the vitamin C in the juice significantly improves its absorption. They also provide lots of zinc and potassium.Cashew nuts have a lower fat content and a higher protein and carbohydrate content than other types of nuts. The fat that they do contain is mostly (65%) derived from oleic acid, a monounsaturated oil with known benefits in protecting against heart disease and cancer.
18. Omega 3 Fatty Acid Rich Nuts
Nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids support cognitive function and help you concentrate. Your body uses omega-3 fatty acids to maintain healthy gray matter and support brain cell function. Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids acids in your system negatively affect your concentration, reducing your capacity for learning and memory formation. English walnuts are especially rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids -- each ounce contains 2.6 grams, or your entire daily recommended intake. Black walnuts also contain some omega-3 fatty acids, at 0.6 gram per ounce.
19. Macadamias
Macadamia nuts, high in oleic acid, the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil, may preserve brain health by keeping your blood pressure low and preventing stroke, according to a study published in the August 2011 issue of the journal Neurology. A fatty acid known as palmitoleic acid, also found in high quantities in macadamia nuts, is an important component of myelin, the fatty layer that insulates and protects nerve cells in the brain. As such, macadamia nuts may contribute to healthy early brain development and normal brain function.
20. Beech
Any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading crowns and smooth grey bark and small sweet edible triangular nuts enclosed in burs