Friday, August 19, 2011

Do You Eat Nuts? Are Nuts Healthy, Despite The Omega 3 In Nuts?

By Peter Crump


Over the last few years there's been some dispute about the health benefits of consuming nuts. Despite the fact that there is Omega 3 in nuts, there's some other fats, and a lot of them, and some people say that you should not eat nuts.

So is eating nuts healthy or is it unhealthy?

One of the reasons that some say eating nuts is unhealthy is because, as is well known, nuts are particularly high in fat. However it's essential to differentiate between the different types of fat.

There's no doubt that some fats are unhealthy. Saturated fat, for example, is known to be unhealthy for your heart and cardio vascular system in general, and you should avoid eating foods high in saturated fat. This includes animal foods. However there is also saturated fat in nuts.

And whilst there are unhealthy fats there are also healthy fats. There's Omega 3 in nuts, and Omega 3 fats are healthy. However Omega 3 isn't the only "Omega" fat. There are also others, including Omega 6. And whilst 6 is healthy to a degree, in excess it's not, and the general consensus among researchers is that most of us eat way too much of 6 and too little of 3.

That's because most vegetable oils are very high in Omega 6, and not in Omega 3, and virtually all processed foods have some form of cheap vegetable oil, and because we now eat lots of processed foods we are now eating too much Omega 6. And there's Omega 6 in nuts.

So if there is Omega 6 in nuts as well as saturated fat surely we shouldn't be eating them?

Nuts are packed with a range of important micronutrients. There's plenty of vitamins and minerals. Some are very high in calcium which is very good for your bones amongst other things.

And there is research showing that there are significant health benefits from eating nuts. For instance there is research showing that walnuts can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. There is research showing that eating nuts can help reduce cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

And there's plenty of good Omega 3 fatty acids in nuts as well.

But nuts are very high in calories, and shouldn't be a large part of a low calorie diet if you're losing weight.

So have we answered the questions about eating nuts or are you now more confused than ever? If you're more confused than ever we don't blame you.

But there is really no evidence that eating nuts, in moderation, is bad for you. And there's evidence that eating nuts, in moderation, can be good for you.

But if you're eating them purely for the Omega 3 in nuts then you should be aware that there are much better Omega 3 rich foods. The best Omega 3 food is fish and in particular oily fish. Eating fish is the best way to get Omega 3 in your diet from food.

And the best way to stay healthy from Omega 3 fatty acids is to take daily fish oil supplements. Make sure you buy high quality fish oil supplements because not all are high quality.

To find out which are visit my website, below.




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