Why You Should Be Snacking on Nuts

By Dr. Rallie McAllister

For many Americans, snacking between meals is a way of life. Unfortunately, most of the foods that we choose to snack on aren't all that good for us.

Chips, crackers and candy bars may banish hunger pangs, but when it comes to satisfying our bodies' nutritional needs, they leave a lot to be desired. Most of these snack foods offer very little in the way of beneficial nutrients.

For folks in search of a snack food that not only satisfies hunger, but also contributes to good health, nuts are an excellent choice. The tasty nuggets are packed with vitamins, minerals and protein.

Ounce for ounce, nuts contain nearly as much protein as lean meat, but unlike animal sources of protein, nuts are naturally cholesterol-free and high in fiber. Twenty-four almonds contain a little more than three grams of fiber, about the same amount of roughage as an unpeeled apple.

There's no doubt that nuts are relatively high in fat, but the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in nuts are the friendly types that are known to have dozens of important health benefits. Not only do they serve as a concentrated source of energy, they also supply the body with essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.

Although nuts may have been underappreciated in the past, recent research has elevated them to super-food status. Consuming small quantities of nuts on a regular basis has been shown to reduce the risk for a number of common ailments and chronic diseases, ranging from constipation to cancer.

Over the past two decades, numerous studies have concluded that people who regularly eat nuts have significantly lower rates of heart disease than people who don't. After following the dietary habits of more than 86,000 women for 14 years, Harvard researchers found that women consuming five ounces of nuts each week had a 35-percent lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who consumed less than one ounce per week.

Scientists at Loma Linda University also found a strong link between nuts and cardiovascular health. In a study of nearly 30,000 adults, men and women who ate two ounces of nuts four or five times a week were 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who ate nuts less often than once a week.