In a study published by the Indiana University School of Public Health in the United States, researchers showed that adding a handful of nuts to the diet of children and adults who did not eat, improves the quality of nutrition by diversifying the intake of deficient nutrients.
Results already known, but which highlight the beneficial effects of nuts such as pistachios, cashews, walnuts, almonds…
Contributions of nuts
Nuts are known for their abundance of unsaturated fatty acids. The walnut is one of the richest with almost 43g of unsaturated fatty acids per 100g. Among these acids, there are omega 3, an essential element that humans cannot synthesize and which must therefore be provided by food, in particular thanks to fatty fish (salmon, sardines), nuts and oils (walnuts , rapeseed, flax).
Omega 3 have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. For Mathilde Petipez, dietician, “100 years ago our diet was very rich in omega 3, because we consumed raw products. Today, with the industrialization of our diet and the fact that we eat more and more ultra-processed foods, there is a nutritional imbalance and omega 3 deficiencies. Price prevails over quality”. According to several studies, omega 3 would have beneficial effects on the intestinal microbiota. “The microbiota is increasingly analyzed and it affects different aspects of our health.
Omega 3 and fibre, for example, help nourish the bacteria in our microbiota,” says Mathilde Petitpez.
Nuts also contain fiber. An almond contains for example 12 g per 100g. “A handful of almonds corresponds to 3g of fiber and for 100g of cooked vegetables, we have about 2.5g of fiber. So nuts provide proportionally more fiber,” adds the dietician.
For 100g of almond the almonds contain 12g of fiber and 25g of protein.
Not to mention that they are an important source of protein. Thus a yogurt provides about 4.5 g of protein, a portion of cheese is 30 g, 7 g, a glass of milk 5 g and a handful of almonds, 6 g. According to Mathilde Petitpez, “nuts, like legumes, have protein levels similar to meat.
But as they are plant sources, their assimilation by the body is lower. so you have to eat more of it to get the same result”.
Proteins have a role of “building nutrient” in the body: they are essential for the growth of our structure, that is to say our bones, our muscles and our blood and our cells in general.
Nuts contain a significant portion of calcium. For comparison, a nut contains about 75 mg of calcium per 100 g while a yogurt provides 120 mg / 100 g.
“Nuts can compensate for the lack of calcium as in the case of osteoporosis. It is also a builder nutrient for the bone”, specifies the dietician.
Finally, nuts have a high iodine content, at a rate of 20 mg/100g, much more than what is in milk, but still less than in seafood, fish and sea salt. table, the main sources. Iodine is essential for the thyroid which manages the hormones.
However, beware of allergies. In Europe, nearly 4.7% of children and 3.2% of adults suffer from it.
trendy foods
In recent years, nuts have been making a strong comeback, driven by public health recommendations that recommend consuming a handful per day, the equivalent of 20 to 30 grams. Formerly, mainly produced in China or the United States, some, like pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, are now beginning to be grown in France, driven by a flourishing market. “We have seen a lot of positive messages about nuts when talking about a “super food”. But as with every hot new product, there is an overconsumption effect. We think it’s healthy and we can eat as much as we want”, tempers Mathilde Petitpez. It’s all about balance.
However, the majority of the French population does not eat enough of it. “Nuts are, in most cases, a consumption habit among people who have questions about the environment, such as vegetarians or vegans, who are more aware,” she adds.
Include nuts in your diet
Public health authorities recommend the daily consumption of a handful of plain nuts, that is to say unsweetened and unsalted. Roasted nuts are also promoted, although they lose vitamins and minerals during cooking.
“The must of the must is to still choose some in their shell. When they are already shelled, the fatty acids are likely to oxidize in contact with air and light, and lose quality.
In addition, the fact of dissecting them makes it possible to become aware of the quantity that one eats and to limit excesses”, develops the dietician. A good tip is to buy muesli that contains nuts.
In order not to get lost in the immense choice that this product represents, Mathilde Petitpez advises using the Yuka application: “It’s an interesting application when it comes to comparing the same kind of product and choosing the best in terms of nutritional.
On the other hand, there is no point in paralleling butter with cream or potatoes”. It also specifies that integrating nuts should not be done to the detriment of taste and pleasure.
“When it’s not a habit, you have to keep the joy of eating so as not to stop after two days”, she concludes.
