Nuts have gotten a bad name because of the fat and high calorie content.

What has been forgotten along the way is the healthy omega-3 fats, fiber, protein and micro-nutrients which are crucial to a healthy diet.

Almonds can curb those junk food cravings because they are filling and satisfying.

Snacks like nuts – promoted as a healthy source of nutrients by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – are generally considered off-limits to dieters because of their high fat content. Almonds are particularly rich in magnesium, potassium and vitamin E, as well as being a good source of fiber and calcium, according to the study’s funder, the Almond Board of California.

When dieters are limiting how many calories they eat, it’s important they eat foods that are nutrient dense, with a nice level of vitamins and minerals, and good quality fats, said Wien.
It’s a comfort for people who are struggling with weight management, said Wien. They often crave something crunchy, something palatable with a nice texture, she added.

When it comes to our bodies we all know that the good fats are best.

But what about our brains?

The results published online May 18 in the journal Annals of Neurology has shown that the cognitive function of older women who ate monounsaturated fats was better than those who ate saturated and trans fats.

Compared with those women who ate the lowest amounts of saturated fats, women in the highest saturated-fat category showed worse overall cognition and memory over the four years of testing. Women who ate the most mono-unsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time. Trans fats weren’t associated with changes in cognition over time, the researchers reported.

With diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia on the rise, the benefits could be greater that simply better memories and improved cognition.

Preventive measures to stem the increase of debilitating brain illness could benefit millions.

Pound for pound and dollar for dollar nuts are your best nutritional value at the market. Try to avoid cooking nuts because that will diminish their nutritional value but do be sure and add them at any opportunity; salads, cereal, oat meal, ice cream, and whatever else you enjoy.

The researchers from University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, US say these antioxidants are also up to 15 times more potent than vitamin E. Antioxidants are known to help protect the body against disease. Study leader Dr Joe Vinson said, “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice the antioxidants as any other commonly consumed nut…But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them.” Some people avoid nuts as they are thought to be high in fat but Dr Vinson said they had no link to weight gain.
Nuts are healthy and nutritious, containing high-quality protein, lots of vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fibre. They are also dairy and gluten-free. Earlier studies have shown that regular consumption of small amounts of nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, type two diabetes and other health problems.

Dr Vinson also said “The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants…People usually eat walnuts raw or unroasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.”