ABOUT NUTS

     In his One Minute Consult, Consumer Reports on Health has a message for us from Richard D. Mattes, M.P.H., Ph.D., R.D., professor of nutrition science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

     “At one time nuts were viewed as problematic for weight gain and heart disease.  But epidemiological evidence almost unanimously shows that people who consume nuts more frequently weigh less than people who don’t.  These findings were surprising and prompted a number of clinical trials.  They found that adding tree nuts as well as peanuts to the diet did not lead to the theoretical change in body weight based on their energy content.  There are several likely reasons for this.  First, nuts are very satiating, so consequently people eat less food than at other times.  This offsets between two-thirds and three quarters of the energy.  Second, people often chew nuts thoroughly, so somewhere between 5 and 15 percent of the fat they contain is not absorbed.  Third, although this is less substantiated by research, consuming nuts regularly may elevate energy expenditure.”

   There is very strong evidence that regularly eating nuts reduces cardiovascular risk factors like elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides.  Nuts are also rich sources of other nutrients – walnuts of omega-3 fatty acids, almonds of Vitamin E, and peanuts for protein.  They are also high in fiber.  The government has approved what is called a qualified health claim for most nuts, based on their effect on cardiovascular disease risk.  It covers almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts, but not cashews, which has not been studied as well as the others.  If you wonder about the right amount of nuts – the recommendation is to eat l.5 ounces a day.  An ounce of almonds fits in an Altoids mint tin, and the pack of peanuts you get on airplanes is usually about half an ounce.  The work we’re doing now suggests that whether they are honey-roasted, salted, or raw doesn’t adversely affect their health benefits.  For safety sake one can rub off most the salt if your doctor has warned you about getting too much salt.