Nuts increase life expectancy, confirm studies

Nuts contribute to longevity. It is a proven fact according to several studies. A higher intake of these healthy fats helps increase life expectancy is what studies suggest.
The Unsaturated fats like Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish and nuts, are essential for protecting brain, bones, joints, heart, and skin. Nuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats.
Walnuts, almonds and pecans, though high in calories, provide your body with excellent nutritional essentials. They are the perfect snacking option to remain healthy, but, it is best to have them unsalted and in their pure form. They render a feeling of fullness, while also boosting the body’s ability to burn fat, says Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvado at the University of Rovira I Virgili in Reus, Spain.
Now, even dieticians recommend substituting meat with nuts. Meat contains saturated fats, while nuts contain omega-3 essential fatty acids that regulate cholesterol levels and improve brain functioning. Therefore, eating a handful of nuts daily for a year, along with a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruit and fish can help undo a collection of risk factors associated with heart disease.
According to Dr. Salas-Salvado, nuts have an effect on metabolic syndrome by multiple mechanisms. Further, apart from being rich in anti-inflammatory substances, including anti-oxidants, fibre and vitamin E, they are high in unsaturated fat, a healthier fat known to lower blood triglycerides and increase good cholesterol levels.
Although nuts are a fatty food and though the weight-watchers are a little cautious about eating nuts, the Nurses’ Study revealed that frequent nut consumers were actually thinner on an average, than those who never consumed nuts. In fact, daily supplements of almonds or peanuts for six months resulted in little or no increase in body weight. Nuts seem to satisfy hunger quite well, so as to appropriately reduce consumption of other foods.

All studies, wherein the volunteers were fed nuts, including walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachio nuts, pecans and macadamia, as part of their diet for weeks, it was found that all these altered the composition of blood in ways that would be expected to reduce risk of coronary disease.
On the whole, the best advice currently propagated is to eat variety of nuts, with walnuts in particular thought to be highly beneficial, due to the presence of n-3 fatty acids. (by Ayurvedictalk.com)

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