•The brain gets nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron from the gut.
•You can add nuts to your salads for that extra crunch or grind them to use in spreads.
The popular notion, you are what you eat highlights how diet can affect our body and brain function through different mechanisms.
The brain gets necessary nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron from the gut.
Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, macadamias and pistachios are great examples of nuts you should incorporate into your diet for health benefits.
Magnesium, in nuts, is essential for learning and memory. Potassium is also important as it helps regulate nerve signals in the body.
A National Cancer Institute (NCI) study highlights that nuts may also help reduce the chances of getting cancer.
Dr William Li, a physician and scientist at The Angiogenesis Foundation, says that nuts contain polyphenol which boosts the immune system to fight cancer.
“Nuts have a healthy omega-3 fatty acid which can starve cancer by cutting off its blood supply” Dr Li says.
“People who eat nuts have longer telomeres which slow done the cellular ageing, nut fibre content activates healthy gut bacteria that boost the immune system,” he added.
Nuts have been found to not only, lower cholesterol and blood pressure but also, to help control blood sugar making them ideal for people with diabetes.
Nuts are recommended for diabetic patients as long as they are not coated in salt, honey or chocolate.
An alternative would be changing the roasting style by replacing salt with herbs or garlic to bring out more flavour and obtain extra nutrients.
Add nuts to your salads for that extra crunch or grind them to use in spreads.