Peanuts start growing as a ground flower that, due to its heavy weight, bends towards the ground and eventually burrows underground where the peanut matures.

The veined brown shell or pod of the peanut contains two or three peanut kernels. Each oval-shaped kernel or seed is comprised of two off-white lobes that are covered by a brownish-red skin.

The hard outer shell of the peanut acts as a protective layer keeping the nut safe from scarring in the handling process and also keeping intact the valuable nutrients that are often damaged when exposed to light.

Peanuts and peanut butter contain high quality plant protein. When comparing peanuts to similar foods, peanuts have more protein than any other legume or nut. This is especially important for children, vegetarians and those who enjoy meatless meals.

Peanuts and peanut butter contain mostly beneficial monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats, as compared to saturated fats, have been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Lowering your blood cholesterol level may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.

One small handful of peanuts contains 2 big grams of fiber. This is 9% of the fiber you need each day

One small handful of peanuts provide 16% of your daily need of vitamin E. Vitamin E has been shown to act as an antioxidant which may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Peanuts are an important source of essential minerals such as magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Some of these “hard to find” minerals such as copper and magnesium may protect against coronary heart disease.

B vitamins such as folate can help prevent birth defects. They also reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood (a known heart disease risk factor). Peanuts are a good source of folate.

Phytochemicals are natural substances in plants which may provide a wide range of health benefits such as reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Peanuts contain resveratrol which is one of the many phytochemicals found in plant foods.

Usage:  Enjoy as a snack or sprinkle on salads. Peanuts give a distinctive peanut flavour to cooked and baked dishes.

Nuts provide numerous health benefits.  They are one of the best sources of primary Proteins, Essential Unsaturated Fats, Minerals and Vitamins.  In spite of their high fat content, nuts will not be fattening if consumed in moderation.

Vegetarians and vegans should use a variety of nuts but always in moderation as they are one of nature’s richest foods.

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Pine kernels, also known as pine seeds, pine nuts or pignoli, are seeds rather than nuts. Found in the cones of several species of pine trees on the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, the small, ivory-coloured pine kernel has been a popular culinary favourite from ancient times. Today, its popularity is even more widespread, and modern science is revealing more and more of its health benefits and its value in the treatment and prevention of conditions such as arteriosclerosis and heart disease, impaired nervous systems, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, asthma, anemia, fatigue and gallstones, and to help ensure healthy muscles, teeth, bones and lungs and a strong immune system. Add to these benefits a low amount of saturated fat, low sodium, zero cholesterol and significant amounts of fibre, and you have an energy food that is both nutritious and healthy.

Pine kernels are very popular for flavouring or garnishing various sweet and savoury dishes, including meat, fish, vegetable and rice dishes, sauces, salads, desserts, cakes, biscuits, chocolates and pralines. They are an important ingredient in Italian pesto sauce.

Description and Origin

Pine kernels, also known as pine seeds, pine nuts or pignoli, are seeds rather than nuts and are harvested from the large cones of various pine trees after the resin has been extracted. Although the pine is very common in Europe and North America, pine kernels are most commonly produced and consumed in the Mediterranean basin in countries like Spain, Italy and Portugal. Other major producers are Africa, India, China, Mexico, the United States and Turkey. Pine kernels are also becoming increasingly popular as part of health diets around the world. The small, ivory-colored kernels, once a favourite among the ancient Greeks and Romans, have a delicate, nutty flavor similar to that of almonds.

Nutritional Content of Pine Kernels

A breakdown of the major nutrients found in 100 grams of pine kernels is as follows:

The pine kernel is also a rich source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, with a fair supply of potassium and zinc as well as small amounts of calcium, manganese and selenium. It also contains the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid, and the antioxidant vitamins E and A.

Health Benefits of Pine Kernels

The protein in pine kernels is obviously of the healthier, vegetable variety. It has a high arginine content and can therefore help to prevent arteriosclerosis.

While the fat content may seem high, the unhealthy saturated fats form a very small part of the total fats. Most of the fats are of the healthy, unsaturated kind, with poly-unsaturated fats predominating – the poly-unsaturated fats are the ones that help to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They also improve the functioning of the nervous system.

Pine kernels supply a variety of important minerals. One of the major ones is iron, which is important for menstruating women and good for energy. An iron deficiency is associated with anemia, gallstones, fatigue and insomnia. There is also magnesium, which is good for smooth muscle function and healthy bones and nerves, and reduces the risk of diabetes. Phosphorus makes the metabolism of energy more efficient, and copper helps to ensure healthy blood vessels, bones and joints. It also aids iron utilization, thus helping to prevent iron-deficiency anemia.

Because it contains reasonable amounts of potassium and zinc, the pine kernel may contribute towards good kidney functioning, smooth functioning of the heart and other muscles, and the strengthening of the immune system.

Present in smaller but no less important amounts are calcium for healthy muscles, teeth and bones, manganese to aid calcium absorption and help prevent osteoporosis, and selenium, an antioxidant that protects the lungs from free radicals, makes the work of vitamins C and E in the body more effective, and may help prevent asthma.

The B vitamins generally are responsible for combating high blood pressure, lowering LDL cholesterol, helping to ensure good brain and nervous system function and preventing birth defects, and pine kernels contain most of the B’s – thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid.

Antioxidant vitamin E is an immune system booster that combats damage inflicted on healthy cells by free radicals and thus helps prevent various diseases. Vitamin A, another antioxidant, helps ensure good eyesight and boosts the immune system.

Combine these nutrients with a low amount of saturated fat, low sodium, zero cholesterol and significant amounts of fibre, and you have an energy food that is both nutritious and healthy.

Uses of Pine Kernels

Pine kernels are very popular for flavouring or garnishing various sweet and savoury dishes, including meat, fish, vegetable and rice dishes, sauces, salads, desserts, cakes, biscuits, chocolates and pralines. They are an important ingredient in Italian pesto sauce and they make a most enjoyable snack when eaten just as Nature makes them.

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Sources Consulted

http://www.caplenco.be/pine.htm

http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/i_seed.htm

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthissues/foodintolerance/foodintolerancetypes/pinenutallergy/

http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec23.htm

http://www.joyofbaking.com/printpages/pinenutsprint.html

http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_nuts_common.htm

http://www.nucis.org/pinyons_eng.htm

http://www.nuthealth.org/nut.php3?nut=pine

The Doctor’s Book of Food Remedies, by Selene Yeager and the Editors of Prevention Health BooksTM, 1998, Rodale Inc.

The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies, by the Editors of Prevention Health BooksTM, 2002, Rodale Inc.

Pecan Nuts are rich in essential oils and underweight people could benefit from their consumption.

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Whether you like your pecan nuts just as they are (fresh and tasty) or in cooking and baking recipes, in confectionery, in cereals and salads, or as fillings in pasta dishes, you have to admit these snacks are very popular.

They’re healthy too. Pecans offer more vitamin E than any other food except oils, and they boast more than 19 vitamins as well as several essential minerals. Consider also the fact that 90% of the fats in pecans are the good kind, and that they contain no cholesterol and almost no sodium, and you have a recipe for an energy snack that is good for the heart, for weight and cholesterol management, for prevention and relief of diseases such as cancer, stroke and intestinal disorders, and for a strong immune system and a generally healthy body – provided of course that your overall diet and lifestyle are healthy.

Description and Origin

A member of the walnut family, the pecan nut tree flourishes in humid climates. It is found in deciduous forests in North America. Pecan nuts were an important food source for Native Americans. Each nut is long and pointed with a thin shell.

Nutritional Content

A partial analysis of the major nutrients found in pecan nuts is as follows:

However, pecans offer much more. They are also an important source of ellagic acid, plant steroids and more than 19 vitamins including several B vitamins as well as vitamins A and E. But there is still more. Pecans contain several essential minerals, including calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and zinc. They also provide about 25% more oleic acid than the same amount of olive oil does.

Finally, pecan nuts, though tasty, are low in saturated (bad) fats and high in unsaturated (good) fats and contain no cholesterol and almost zero sodium.

Health Benefits

Pecan nuts are not only bursting with energy. They are also nutrient-dense – they contain a large number and variety of nutrients compared to other foods.

Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other nut. They are a rich source of vitamin E, particularly gamma tocopherol. Vitamin E is an important nutrient for at least two reasons. First, it’s a plant material not produced by the human body, so we have to get it from our diet. Second, it’s the primary antioxidant used by the body to combat the damaging effects of free radicals on healthy cells, thus helping to prevent infections and diseases. Pecans are among those foods that, because of their high vitamin E content, significantly reduce the risk of death from stroke.

Gamma tocopherol, found in such rich supply in pecan nuts, is a unique form of vitamin E that improves intestinal health and helps prevent prostate cancer.

The ellagic acid in pecans is a phenolic compound with anticarcenogenic, antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These nuts also contain a variety of phytochemicals, nature’s own healing drugs, and they have a considerable supply of natural plant sterols, which are believed to have cholesterol-lowering abilities. It is significant that man-made derivatives of plant sterols are now being added as ingredients in several important foods. Pecans contain these sterols in a natural form.

Clinical research has confirmed that pecan nuts can lower LDL blood cholesterol if eaten correctly – in moderation and in the place of other high-fat foods, not in addition to them. The end result is a much reduced risk of heart disease and sudden fatal cardiac arrest. One study, conducted at Loma Linda University in California and published in the September 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, found that if you add just a handful of pecan nuts to a traditional low-fat, cholesterol-lowering diet, this will dramatically increase the diet’s effectiveness. A pecan-enriched diet was found to be twice as effective at lowering bad cholesterol as the heart-healthy diet recommended by the American Heart Association.

Among the 19 or more vitamins found in pecan nuts are vitamin A for better eyesight and for boosting the immune system, folic acid (a deficiency of which is associated with clinical depression and with birth defects) and other B vitamins. The pecan also offers a wide variety of minerals. There is calcium for healthy muscles, teeth and bones, and magnesium for healthy muscles, bones and nerves. We find copper, which plays an important role in the elimination of free radicals and the development of bone and connective tissue. Copper also helps to ensure healthy blood vessels, bones and joints, and aids iron utilization, thus helping to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. There is also phosphorus for metabolizing energy, potassium for good kidney and heart function and for the smooth function of other muscles, manganese to aid calcium absorption and help prevent osteoporosis, and zinc to help maintain healthy levels of white blood cells, thus strengthening the immune system.

Another factor that makes pecans an ideal food for a healthy heart is that pecans supply protein with a superior structure. As a result, they contain all the essential amino acids the body can’t do without. Pecans, like other nuts, are therefore excellent substitutes for high-fat meats.

Pecans are an ideal dietary component for those trying to manage their weight more effectively because they are high in calories yet low in saturated (bad) fat – 90% of the fats in pecans are the unsaturated (good) kind – about 60% mono-unsaturated and 30% poly-unsaturated.

Other Uses

Pecan nuts taste good and can therefore be eaten as they are. However, they are also very popular in cooking and baking recipes, in confectionery, in cereals and salads, and as fillings in pasta dishes.

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Sources Consulted

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/pecan.htm

http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/Healthy_foods/15-18-21-186.asp

http://www.ilovepecans.org/

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11571.cfm?RecordID=644&tab=HC

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s02ey.html

http://www.red-raspberry.org/Health/EllagicAcid.htm

http://www.texmextogo.com/november_2004.htm

The Doctor’s Book of Food Remedies, by Selene Yeager and the Editors of Prevention Health BooksTM, 1998, Rodale Inc.

One of the healthiest ways to eat Peanuts is in the form of sprouts. Ask your Nature’s Choice stockist for more information on sprouting. Convenient seed sprouters are available from Nature’s Choice.

Peanuts are a highly concentrated food and should be eaten sparingly – and always together with other foods . The taste of Raw Peanuts can be improved if they are lightly salted and ovenbaked.

Hot baked Peanuts, together with hot baked sliced banana, serve as tasty accompaniments to a great variety of dishes.

Nuts provide numerous health benefits. They are one of the best sources of primary Proteins, Essential Unsaturated Fats, Minerals and Vitamins. In spite of their high fat content, nuts will not be fattening if consumed in moderation. Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant, is present in high concentrations in whole nuts and seeds.

The Protein content of Hazel Nuts is such that they need to be combined with other nuts, grains or legumes in order to obtain maximum benefit.