Nuts are in high season during the cold season. When slowly the selection of fresh domestic fruits and vegetables becomes smaller, the nutty snack for in between is a nutritious nibbling fun. And some nuts are good for a surprise. What all is in nuts and how healthy nuts actually are, you will learn in the following.
Nuts from a botanical point of view
What is commonly hidden behind the term “nut” is often a completely different fruit in the botanical sense. Macadamia nuts and almonds, for example, belong to the drupe family, while the peanut – like the bean or pea – is a papilionaceous plant that forms a pod as a fruit.
Strawberry – a nut?
It is also relatively unknown that the strawberry is not a berry at all, but botanically speaking, a gathering nut fruit. This is thanks to the small seeds on it.
Hazelnuts and other nuts
Another nut native to our area is the hazelnut, in which the pericarp forms a woody shell that must be cracked before the kernel can be eaten. However, since other fruits also have hard shells, they are grouped together as shell fruits, regardless of their fruit type.
This includes the following nuts in addition to the hazelnut:
- Walnut
- Almonds
- Peanut
- Macadamia nut
- Coconut
- Chestnuts
- Pecan nut
- Pistachios
- Cashew nut
- Brazil nut
Nuts as a healthy source of nutrients
Nuts are real calorie bombs. This they have mainly to thank the healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids that are contained in them.
But also the vitamins do not come too short. In particular, vitamin E and the B vitamins should be mentioned here. Folic acid, lecithin and many minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium are also found in nuts. In addition, nuts are also rich in fiber and protein.
All these ingredients make nuts a valuable contribution to a balanced diet. However, eating a handful of nuts every day is enough, otherwise you risk becoming overweight. A moderate but regular consumption of nuts has an extremely positive effect on cholesterol levels and is therefore a very good precaution against cardiovascular diseases.
Health risks associated with nuts
Unlike commercial sweet almonds, bitter almonds are not suitable for fresh consumption. They are cultivated on special plantations for the production of bitter almond oil. As their name suggests, they are not very tasty anyway. This is due to the amygdalin contained in them, from which the toxic prussic acid is formed during digestion. For small children, even a small amount of fresh bitter almonds can be fatal.
Nuts can also trigger allergies. In particular, those allergic to peanuts must be careful, because for them even the smallest amounts are enough to cause severe itching or even respiratory distress.
