NUTS AND OILSEEDS: GOOD FAT AND BAD FAT

Nuts are seeds or fruits which is comprised of the edible fat-containing kernel and are encased in a hard or strong shell. Oilseeds are crops mainly grown for extracting oil from seeds like for example mustard seeds, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, flaxseeds, rapeseeds (canola), niger seeds, etc But today we do consume flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower, safflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds for their nutritional and health benefits along with the nuts. How frequently do you consume nuts and oilseeds? You are losing out if you don't consume them on a daily basis Even though these nuts and oilseeds make up a smaller portion of our diet, they provide several health benefits.

However, many avoid eating nuts and oilseeds due to their high calorie and fat content. Interestingly, in spite of having high-fat content, they are known to have heart-friendly fat and also contain plant sterols, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds and thereby having immense health benefits Are you surprised to know heart-friendly fat? Yes, so let us understand how the consumption of nuts and seeds benefits us.

First, let’s understand about types of fats it’s not only about the quantity of fat but also about the quality of fat Just adopting a low-fat diet is not enough; what is crucial is to choose the right kind of fat, i.e. choosing good fat and avoiding bad fat. Fats can be classified into:

Monounsaturated (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated (PUFA)(omega-3 and omega6) fats are known to be “Healthy Fats or Good Fats” as they have health benefiting role and lowers the risk of heart attack, inflammation, and other diseases. Saturated fat (SFA) and Trans fat are known to be “Unhealthy Fats or Bad Fats” Saturated fats should account for less than 7% of the total daily calories Trans fats should be avoided or used in small amounts (less than 1% of total calories). When consumed in larger quantities it raises the risk for a variety of health issues such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and so on

Nuts and oilseeds have high-fat content but the fatty acid composition of nuts is beneficial as they are loaded with good fats – the unsaturated fats (MUFA and PUFA) and are low in saturated fat and are also cholesterol free. That’s fascinating, right?