Health Information Series

Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Foods’

Besides its actions on the development and maturation of blood cells and proper functioning of the nervous system, folic acid plays a crucial role in the metabolism of homocysteine resulting in a significant reduction in the concentration of the substance, which helps to cushion the negative impact of this compound and, thus, the rate of progression of atherosclerosis.

Finally, it should be noted the remarkable healthy mineral content of nuts.

Almonds contain about 235 mg/100g of calcium, 275 mg/100 g of magnesium, potassium 756 mg/100 g, whereas all nuts have an extremely low sodium content (only 24 mg/100g).

Role of minerals in the body

These constituents, inorganic nature, play an important role in our body, not only in relation to the development and maintenance of the skeleton, but with the proper functioning of the nervous system, the health of the cardiovascular system, pressure control pressure, the dynamics of the musculoskeletal system, inactivation of free radicals.

So it is important to keep this type of food to the design and evaluation of a diet, especially if we consider that these micronutrients are ingested in quantities less than desirable for most of the population.

The nuts contain a significant proportion of protein, which ranges from 19% of the almonds and pine nuts 14%, with high levels of arginine and a relatively low proportion of lysine.

The high arginine content, most notably in nuts, is a positive factor given the role of this amino acid in the formation of nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator also capable of reducing the adhesion and aggregation of platelets on vascular endothelium.

They also provide a significant amount of vitamins, especially B group, most notably folate. Hazelnuts and walnuts are the nuts that show increased folic acid content, followed by pine nuts, pistachios and almonds, it should be noted that folic acid daily requirement for an adult, are the order of 400 ug.

Fiber

The remarkable fiber content of nuts adds a special significance to this type of food given the numerous effects that compounds in this group of substances exert on the gastrointestinal system and other metabolic processes.

Thus, the fiber helps to maintain the feeling of satiety for a longer time, determines that glucose and fatty acids are less rapidly absorbed through the lining of the small intestine (thus cushioning the impact of metabolic), reduce the rate and the degree of cholesterol absorption, are the bedrock from which they arise, in the large intestine, a number of substances that give greater vitality and resistance to intestinal mucosal cells against the action of compounds that promote the development Tumor; help regulate intestinal transit and stool volume.

Nuts contain a number of sterols other than cholesterol is characteristic of animal steroids.

Plant-sterols, or phytosterols, play an important role in the physiology of our body as they contribute to reduce the extent of absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine derived mainly from biliary secretion and cell disintegration desquamated intestinal epithelium and to a lesser extent, of provided by the diet.

Given the chemical similarity between these sterols and cholesterol, phytosterols compete with the latter by the systems responsible for transport to the intestinal epithelium and its attachment to the acyl-cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), the enzyme responsible for regulating the rate of entry of cholesterol, which leads to a lower uptake of this compound in the small intestine.

In the presence of plant sterols (phytosterols) favors the elimination of cholesterol in the feces which helps to increase the number of receptors for low density lipoprotein (LDL) of the liver parenchyma, which accelerates the catabolism of cholesterol and is achieved better control the levels of this compound in plasma.

Nuts are particularly rich in beta-sitosterol also contain significant amounts of other phytosterols, such as avenasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, …

Nuts are an excellent food that helps us to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease by lipid profile. Contribute to reducing levels of total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) and maintained or slightly increased HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol.

Apart from its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, relatively resistant to oxidation, nuts contribute significant quantities of substances that protect against the action of free radicals thus decreasing the toxic effects of the latter.

The antioxidant content of nuts in a special way of almonds and hazelnuts, is considerable, and, almonds show a concentration of vitamin E (or tocopherol) than 20 mg/100g and hazelnuts concentration this compound is above 40 mg/100g.

The presence of such substances, protective action against harmful free radicals, gives the nuts an additional heart-healthy effect, mainly due to the ability of tocopherols to protect low-density lipoprotein (LDL) against action of free radicals, preventing their transformation into modified particles, not recognized by LDL receptors and particularly harmful to the cardiovascular system.

Folic acid plays a crucial role in the metabolism of homocysteine resulting in a significant reduction in the concentration of the substance, which helps to cushion the negative impact of this compound and, thus, the rate of progression of atherosclerosis.