Health benefits of eating Pine Nuts include reduces the risk of heart disease, assists with the management of diabetes, cancer risk is significantly reduced, boost in brain health, improves bone strength, keeps eyes healthy, reduces inflammation and signs of aging, improves energy levels, promotes a strong immune system, increase in weight loss, promotes the wellbeing of hair and skin, ease PMS symptoms and aids in promoting healthy digestion.
Pine nuts complement almost any meal deliciously! From a wide range of delectable pasta dishes to wholesome salads and pleasant, pesto spreads, to rice and vegetable dishes.
The options are endless when it comes to using these delightful nuts! Not only are pine nuts bursting with rich flavor and texture, but they are also a food source chockfull of health benefits.
Pine nuts are the English name of a nut that is known as Chilgoza in Urdu; however, they are used in countless traditional cuisines across the globe. From Korean, Italian to Mexican, we are spoilt for choice.
It is quite fascinating that such a rich nut, buttery in texture as well as flavor, is sourced from pine trees. It is also interesting to note that even though pine nuts grow freely in the wild, only 20 species of pine produce nuts that are large enough for harvesting.
Nonetheless, let’s delve deeper into the health benefits of a nut that is so widely used!
13 Health Benefits of Eating Pine Nuts (Chilgoza)
1. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease
Pine nuts contain pinolenic acid, which helps to support healthy cholesterol, including decreasing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
Pine nuts contain high levels of monosaturated fats, magnesium, and vitamin E, which help to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
Heart disease has become a worldwide, growing epidemic. In developed countries, heart disease remains the largest cause of death and is the largest cause of disease burden in developing countries. In 2001, 7.3 million cases of heart disease deaths were reported.
Today, more and more people opt for healthier choices to decrease and even prevent heart disease as well as avoiding being a part of morbidity statistics! And, pine nuts are right at the top of the list of healthy options!!
2. Assists with the Management of Diabetes
Research has proven that the daily consumption of nuts helps to control type 2 diabetes and prevent complications. Additionally, vision issues and strokes are related complications suffered by people with diabetes but can be successfully controlled with the consumption of pine nuts.
Consuming enough pine nuts every day has been shown to improve glucose control and reduce bad cholesterol levels. Furthermore, pine nuts and other tree nuts benefit both glucose control and blood lipids.
Increasing the intake of vegetable oils and protein in type 2 diabetes is also another benefit of pine nuts in diabetes symptom management without leading to excessive weight gain.
3. Cancer Risk is Significantly Reduced
As pine nuts contain a substantial level of magnesium, a mineral linked to lower risk of various types of cancer, one would benefit significantly from snacking on pine nuts!
Various studies performed resulted in frequent nut consumption reducing cancer risk. One particular study revealed that decreasing serum magnesium by 100 milligrams per day resulted in increased pancreatic cancer risk by 24%. Blood magnesium levels should, therefore, be increased to reduce cancer risk.
Increasing the uptake of pine nuts far outweigh the ill effects associated with cancer risk!
4. Boost in Brain Health
Making smart lifestyle choices is the best way to boost brain health. Avoiding nicotine and alcohol and following a healthful diet, which includes pine nuts, can prevent brain aging or deterioration.
Iron, a mineral found in pine nuts, is essential for brain health as it stores and transports oxygen into the blood. It is definitely a great reason to incorporate more pine nuts into your diet immediately.
A dietary intake of magnesium, which is also prevalent in pine nuts, was shown as part of the research performed to assist in improvements in adolescents with depression and anxiety disorders.
5. Improves Bone Strength
Yet again, pine nuts are proving to be an essential part of a healthful diet. Pine nuts are also a rich source of vitamin K, which is required for strengthening bones.
Vitamin K is necessary to regulate where your calcium deposits are used in your body and therefore increases bone mineral density and reduce fracture rates.
Vitamin K deficiencies have been linked to the intake of cholesterol-lowering pharmaceuticals. Pine nuts are associated with cholesterol-lowering potential.
Therefore, daily consumption of pine nuts may negate the necessity for administering cholesterol-lowering medication and provide you with the required daily intake of vitamin K.
6. Keeps Eyes Healthy
The consumption of pine nuts also aids in improving eyesight. The protection of eyes against macular degeneration and glaucoma results as a direct benefit due to the consumption of pine nuts.
This magnificent nut comprises of carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, more specifically, plant pigments with incredible antioxidant properties aiding in improving vision.
Your body is capable of using around 600 carotenoids; however, lutein and zeaxanthin are the only two carotenoids that are transported to the eye.
These dietary carotenoids protect millions of photoreceptor cells found in a small region of the central retina which filter out harmful UV rays and fight off free radicals for acuter vision.
7. Reduces Inflammation and Signs of Aging
Inflammation has been directly linked to aging and is aptly termed by scientists as ‘inflammaging’ which contributes to adverse health outcomes.
Pine nuts contain polyphenols, which are powerful phytochemicals that act as direct and indirect antioxidants reducing the inflammatory response by the body.
This potent phytochemical composition of pine nuts together with their anti-inflammatory properties ward off inflammation in the body and, therefore, particularly slows down the signs of aging.
Scientific studies have proven that the consumption of tree nuts, including pine nuts, consequently, improve your quality of health and life and should definitely form part of a healthy diet for anyone, especially the elderly!
8. Improves Energy Levels
Pine nuts contain high levels of magnesium which is known to increase oxygen uptake and burn more calories, in turn, energy levels are increased.
People underestimate the important role of magnesium in that it transports oxygen throughout the cells of the human body.
Moreover, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the source of producing all energy in the body. Oxygen delivery and energy production are not possible without the presence of magnesium.
If you’re feeling debilitated and suffering from extreme exhaustion, it’s probable that what you’re experiencing is related to low magnesium levels and what better way to increase your energy by adding some pine nuts to an energy-boosting healthful diet!
9. Promotes a Strong Immune System
Zinc is a noteworthy trace mineral found in pine nuts and is responsible for many important processes in the body, including immune function.
As the human body is not capable of storing this essential nutrient, a continuous source of zinc is therefore required through diet and yet, another great reason to…you guessed it…add pine nuts to your diet!!
10. Increase in Weight Loss
Pinolenic acid, a naturally occurring fat found in pine nuts fuel cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide `(GLP-1), which are hormones alerting the brain that the stomach is full.
A study indicated that women who consumed pinolenic acid resulted in a decreased appetite and a reduction of food intake by 36%. Therefore, weight loss results can be easily achieved when adding pine nuts to your diet.
Wholesome pine nuts can help you feel fuller for longer and discourage unnecessary snacking on unhealthy processed junk foods.
11. Promotes the Wellbeing of Hair and Skin
Protein is concentrated in pine nuts and promotes healthy, strong hair, decreases breakage, and leaves hair looking radiant as well as vitamin E, which is renowned for promoting hair growth and maintain a healthy scalp.
Pine nuts are a rich source of vitamin E, so one should definitely add pine nuts as part of a healthy diet and hair regime, especially if you’re experiencing hair loss and thinning.
The vitamin E and antioxidants in pine nuts also help to reduce and fight signs of aging. Applying pine nut oil topically nourishes the skin and offers protection against numerous common skin conditions.
12. Ease PMS Symptoms
Decreased magnesium levels often result in intolerable PMS symptoms in women. Researchers forming part of a double-blinded placebo-controlled study found that ingesting magnesium and vitamin B6 considerably decreased the severity of PMS symptoms.
Vitamins magnesium and vitamin B6 are found in pine nuts, adding them to your diet will ease much of your discomfort if you’re a woman experiencing PMS symptoms which prevent you from regularly going about your day. Feeling those PMS symptoms coming on strong? Stock up on pine nuts and get snacking!
13. Aids in Promoting Healthy Digestion
Phosphorous is plentiful in pine nuts and is an essential nutrient found in the body, second to calcium. Phosphorous is necessary for digestion in addition to healthy bone and teeth formation.
Phosphorous maintains a steady PH in the body by neutralizing acids. Additionally, phosphorous is an electrolyte that is understood to ease constipation, diarrhea, and bloating.
Conclusion
Pine nuts prove to be quite a powerful and nutritious food source capable of providing a myriad of health benefits.
You could create a delightful meal with pleasantly surprising pine nuts or snack on these wholesome nuts just as they are, add them to your salads, create delicious pesto’s and spreads. Needless to say, you’re going to benefit significantly from these power-packed pine nuts.
Even if they are somewhat considerably priced, investing in your health now is always a great choice!
Let us know what you whip up with your pine nuts by leaving a comment below!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864143/
