Are Nuts A Good Source Of Omega 3?
Do you want to include more omega 3 into your diet
? Maybe you are thinking about including nuts in your snacks instead of those fattening chocolate chip cookies you love so much. Are nuts a good option for you? Or are they so overloaded with fat that you will gain far too much weight eating them? We have been told that nuts are full of fat. That is surely a fact. They do contain a lot of fat. The good thing is they aren't all full of the bad fat. If you choose walnuts, peanuts, pecans and hazelnuts, they contain omega 3 fatty acids. This is the good type of fat that helps our bodies. If you eat these nuts it could help in lowering your cholesterol, prevent certain types of cancers, type 2 diabetes, and prevent the fluctuating heart rhythms that lead to heart attacks.
There are nuts that you should avoid, they are macadamia, Brazil and my favorite cashews . These nuts contain more of the bad , omega 6 fatty acids and are not the good one omega 3.
High LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) or cholesterol level in the blood is one of the main causes of heart diseases. If you eat nuts regularly, it can help to lower the LDL count and thus protect you from many heart diseases.
Although there is no scientific reasoning that eating nuts can totally protect you from heart attacks, yet the FDA simply allows the food companies to "suggest" and not "prove" that eating nuts can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Eating nuts improve the viscosity of the blood and minimize the chances of developing clots, which could lead to a fatal heart attack. They also improve the health of the lining of the arteries.
Nuts definitely contain a good amount of fat. They contain roughly 80% of fat by weight. Although most of it is healthy fat, yet its quite high in calories. That is one of the main reasons that you should eat nuts moderately. You should eat nuts in lieu of saturated fats found in red meat, dairy products or eggs.
You should try to eat a handful of nuts in place of unhealthy saturated fats. According to FDA, eating just a handful or about 40 gms of nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios etc, could decrease the risks associated with heart diseases.
One thing that makes nuts not a top choice in getting more omega 3 into your diet is the type of omega 3 they contain. They contain ALA. ALA has to be converted into DHA and EPA for our bodies to utilize it. Not every one's body has the ability to convert ALA.
Nuts are full of fibre which is great. They fill you up and the fibre is good for lowering your cholesterol. They also contain vitamins and antioxidants. If you add some crushed nuts to your soups or salads, it could increase the nutritional value to your meals. Do avoid ones that are packed in sugar or salt.
Now for the answer to, 'are nuts a good source of omega 3?' They taste good, have some nutritional value, but they are not the best source.
Fish is the best source of omega 3. Fish contains DHA and EPA, the type of omega 3 we need for our well being. Eating fish 2 times a week is good. If you do not like fish, as many don't, then there is a wide choice of supplements you can choose from.
The final choice is yours, you can eat nuts, but in moderation, but choose what works best for you. The point is that, you're on the way to a healthier life by adding omega 3 to your diet.
by: Sandy Sachs
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