Gourmet Nuts

Good News About Nuts and Nutrition!
Nuts, the nutritional superstars, can help you live longer, keep off extra pounds, and provide you with the nutrients necessary for optimal health.
Here's how:
• People may lower their risk for heart disease by 25 to 39 percent if they eat a serving of nuts 5 or more times a week.
• Nuts are filled with "healthy" fats called mono- and poly- unsaturated fats, which may significantly benefit the heart by lowering blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Almonds are especially high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that is thought to protect blood vessels from damage by free radicals.
• All nuts provide copper, which is an essential mineral that helps to maintain good cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. And many nuts, including almonds and walnuts, are high in the amino acid arginine which may play an important role in fighting heart disease.
• Nuts help people consume fewer calories throughout the day by reducing snack cravings.
• Just one handful of any variety of nuts provides a good source of protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, and thiamin. Additionally, nuts are high in phytochemicals and phytosterols, which may have cancer fighting properties.
• Almonds, brazil nuts, and pistachios are particularly good sources of calcium. Pistachios provide a good source of B vitamins, essential for energy production, protein metabolism, and the synthesis of red blood cells.