Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts
December 19, 2016
400 Ahhh, Nuts! [19 Dec 2016]
Nuts get a bad rap. When something goes wrong, we say “Aw, nuts!” with the same meaning as “Aw, rats!”. To show nuts the respect and admiration they deserve, we should instead use the expression “Ahhh, nuts!”.
I previoiusly wrote about the nutritional benefits of nuts in December 2009 (#043) and December 2013 (#245).
Last week natural health author Leslie Beck reported for the Globe and Mail on the results of a large study published this month in BMC Medicine. The study was a meta-analysis of 20 prospective cohort studies from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia with a total of nearly 820,000 participants. The study looked at nut intake and mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes.
What they found is that nuts are even more beneficial than previously known. People eating 20 grams or more of nuts reduced their risk of dying by:
• 29% for coronary heart disease
• 21% for cardiovascular disease
• 39% for diabetes
• 15% for cancer (tree nuts only)
• 52% for respiratory disease, and
• 22% for premature death of all causes.
The study found peanuts were as protective as tree nuts for heart disease and all-cause mortality but not for cancer. A significant reduction in risk of stroke was found with peanuts (37%) but not with tree nuts (11%). Looking at the results another way, the authors estimated that 4.4 million premature deaths annually could be attributed to eating less than 20 grams of nuts daily.
Including nuts in your diet is an easy way to improve your health, especially if you substitute them for less healthy snacks. They are expensive but fortunately we don’t need much – 20 grams or about a handful a day is enough to provide most of the protective benefits found in this study.
Pass the nuts please. Delicious! Ahhh, nuts!
It’s hard to believe that this is my 400th column in nearly 8 years of writing. I hope to continue for at least another 100. Donna and I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy healthy new year.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner
December 2, 2013
245 Enjoy Nuts and Live Longer [2 Dec 2013]
A recent study out of Harvard brings good news for nut lovers – just in time for the holidays. Published November 21, 2013, in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors showed that those who ate a handful of nuts daily lived longer and healthier.
The data was taken from the Nurses’ Health Study (1980-2010) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2010) which followed 76,464 women and 42,498 men over 25 to 30 years making it the largest study of its kind. Total mortality and cause-specific mortality was correlated with nut consumption. They found that those who ate more nuts had:
• 11% reduction in cancer deaths (during the study period)
• 29% reduction in deaths from heart disease
• 20% reduction in deaths from any cause
Those who ate nuts more frequently generally had a healthier lifestyle – they were also leaner, less likely to smoke, and more likely to exercise, take multi-vitamins, and to eat more fruits and vegetables. Curiously they also drank more alcohol (beer and peanuts watching TV sports?). The study was designed to isolate the effect of nut consumption from these other factors. Both peanuts and tree nuts provided similar reductions in mortality.
The more frequently that nuts were consumed, the lower the risk of death. The reduction in mortality varied from 7% for once a week through to 20% for once a day. While this study does not prove cause and effect, it is (to quote the authors)
See my column #43 21 Dec 2009 for more on “nut-rition”.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
The data was taken from the Nurses’ Health Study (1980-2010) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2010) which followed 76,464 women and 42,498 men over 25 to 30 years making it the largest study of its kind. Total mortality and cause-specific mortality was correlated with nut consumption. They found that those who ate more nuts had:
• 11% reduction in cancer deaths (during the study period)
• 29% reduction in deaths from heart disease
• 20% reduction in deaths from any cause
Those who ate nuts more frequently generally had a healthier lifestyle – they were also leaner, less likely to smoke, and more likely to exercise, take multi-vitamins, and to eat more fruits and vegetables. Curiously they also drank more alcohol (beer and peanuts watching TV sports?). The study was designed to isolate the effect of nut consumption from these other factors. Both peanuts and tree nuts provided similar reductions in mortality.
The more frequently that nuts were consumed, the lower the risk of death. The reduction in mortality varied from 7% for once a week through to 20% for once a day. While this study does not prove cause and effect, it is (to quote the authors)
“consistent with a wealth of existing observational and clinical-trial data in supporting the health benefits of nut consumption for many chronic diseases. In addition, nutrients in nuts, such as unsaturated fatty acids, high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins (e.g., folate, niacin, and vitamin E), minerals (e.g., potassium, calcium, and magnesium), and phytochemicals (e.g., carotenoids, flavonoids, and phytosterols), may confer cardioprotective, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.” [NEJM 21 Nov 2013].
See my column #43 21 Dec 2009 for more on “nut-rition”.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
March 18, 2013
208 Selenium [March 18, 2013]
For my second article on minerals I selected selenium. I mentioned selenium in #189 last October as one of the anti-oxidants in a study that improved many of the risk factors of heart disease.
Selenium is an essential trace mineral which means it is essential to good health but required in small amounts. It functions in the body as a component of certain antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase (arguably our body’s most important antioxidant), which protects our cell membranes from free radical damage, reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, and plays a role in thyroid function and in our immune system.
Population studies show that a lower intake of selenium is associated with a higher incidence of several cancers and some other diseases, but controlled clinical trials have been less clear. One large study by the U of Arizona in the 1980s found a 50% reduction of total cancer deaths in those taking 200mcg of selenium. While not considered deficient, most of the participants were in the low end of the normal range. Other studies have had mixed results, so the scientific consensus is that selenium supplementation only benefits people with a deficiency of the mineral, which is rare in North America.
People with inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, or people taking a proton pump inhibitor could be deficient in selenium. Ask your doctor for a blood test to find out. But be careful with selenium supplementation – it is toxic in high doses. Selenium also may interact with niacin, antacids, chemotherapy drugs, statin drugs, corticosteroids and birth control pills.
Health Canada’s RDA is 55 mcg for teens and adults with an upper limit of 400 mcg. Most people can obtain sufficient selenium from a healthy diet. Foods rich in selenium include nuts (especially Brazil nuts), seafood, meat and whole grains. Selenium supplements in Canada are sold in 50 to 200 mcg sizes. An average Brazil nut contains 70 mcg of selenium so eating one or two nuts a day would be a healthier choice if you want to ensure you are getting enough.
Sources:
Web MD
NIH Dietary Supplements
FoundHealth
UBC Urology
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Selenium is an essential trace mineral which means it is essential to good health but required in small amounts. It functions in the body as a component of certain antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase (arguably our body’s most important antioxidant), which protects our cell membranes from free radical damage, reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, and plays a role in thyroid function and in our immune system.
Population studies show that a lower intake of selenium is associated with a higher incidence of several cancers and some other diseases, but controlled clinical trials have been less clear. One large study by the U of Arizona in the 1980s found a 50% reduction of total cancer deaths in those taking 200mcg of selenium. While not considered deficient, most of the participants were in the low end of the normal range. Other studies have had mixed results, so the scientific consensus is that selenium supplementation only benefits people with a deficiency of the mineral, which is rare in North America.
People with inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, or people taking a proton pump inhibitor could be deficient in selenium. Ask your doctor for a blood test to find out. But be careful with selenium supplementation – it is toxic in high doses. Selenium also may interact with niacin, antacids, chemotherapy drugs, statin drugs, corticosteroids and birth control pills.
Health Canada’s RDA is 55 mcg for teens and adults with an upper limit of 400 mcg. Most people can obtain sufficient selenium from a healthy diet. Foods rich in selenium include nuts (especially Brazil nuts), seafood, meat and whole grains. Selenium supplements in Canada are sold in 50 to 200 mcg sizes. An average Brazil nut contains 70 mcg of selenium so eating one or two nuts a day would be a healthier choice if you want to ensure you are getting enough.
Sources:
Web MD
NIH Dietary Supplements
FoundHealth
UBC Urology
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
March 5, 2011
043 NUT-RITION [21 Dec 2009]
Nuts are nut-ritious! Nuts are commonly associated with the Christmas holidays, but are so nutritious that they should be consumed year round. Here is a sample of nut nutrition from the Planters website [www.nutnutrition.com].
Almonds are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, copper, magnesium and phosphorous.
Sweet almonds are the good eating variety; bitter almonds are used to make oil for cooking. Almonds are high in oxalates so avoid them if you have a kidney or gallbladder problem. Almond butter is a safe substitute for most people with a peanut allergy.
Brazil nuts grow only in the Amazon rainforest. They are a good source of thiamine (B1), phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese and zinc. They are believed to be beneficial to prostate health.
Cashews are native to Brazil and the Caribbean . They are a good source of iron, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. They have a high content of oleic acid, a beneficial fatty acid. Cashews are high in oxalates so avoid them if you have a kidney or gallbladder problem.
Hazelnuts (aka filberts) are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, riboflavin (B2), calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and manganese.
Pecans are native to southern USA and northern Mexico
The pistachio is native to the Middle East and has been cultivated for 10,000 years. Pistachios are a good source of fiber, thiamine, B6, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. Thankfully the custom of dying them red is now passé.
Our familiar walnut was imported by the Romans from India and the Caspian Sea region to Europe and England from where it was later imported to America ALA
In addition to the vitamins and minerals mentioned, nuts as a group are a good source of essential fatty acids. Nuts are most nutritious raw but may be lightly roasted for flavor. Adding salt is not necessary to enjoy their unique flavors. Besides eating them as a snack food, nuts can be added to salads, ground and added to soups, or used in deserts.
Stan and Donna wish you and your family a happy healthy holiday! Enjoy nutritious nuts this Christmas and throughout 2010.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)