Types of Edible Nuts

What makes a dessert or any dish mouth-watering? No doubt, its flavor! But, what gives it a really tempting appearance is its garnishing with the slices of almonds, cashews or pistachios. It is the dried fruits and nuts that add flavor and beautiful look to any food recipe. Edible nuts are used in a variety of dishes and drinks. They are known not only for their delicious taste, but also for their high nutritional value. Nuts are popular for their incredible health benefits. There are several different types of edible nuts.

Types of Edible Nuts

The term nut is used to describe a variety of dry fruits or seeds. Botanically, a nut can be defined as a plant embryo enclosed in a hard shell. There are a wide variety of edible nuts grown throughout the world. Nuts are usually very oily, firm or crunchy. Nuts are a timeless snack. They have been an important part of human diet for centuries. A good thing about nuts is that due to their firm outer shell, they are well-protected and can be stored for a prolonged period of time.

Various types of edible nuts are legumes like peanuts, seeds like sunflower seeds and pine nuts and drupes like almonds and cashews. Some of the most commonly used culinary nuts are acorns, almonds, breadnuts, Brazil nuts, beechnuts, candlenuts, chestnuts, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, filberts, kola nuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts. These nuts are used in various dishes for flavor and garnishing, or they are processed to extract oil. Oil from nuts is used in different medicines and cosmetics.

Benefits of Edible Nuts

Edible nuts are the energy-dense foods, loaded with abundant amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and other essential nutrients like proteins, fibers as well as selenium, vitamins like vitamin E, thiamine and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and phosphorus. Nuts are quite effective in maintaining healthy body weight by the means of fat absorption and suppressing appetite. The constituents like polyphenols and arginine in the nuts can help improve functioning of the circulatory system. Consumption of nuts like walnuts and almonds can effectively lower the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Due to high content of omega-3 fatty acids, nuts are good for maintaining the heart health. Due to their low glycemic index (GI), nuts are recommended for people with type-2 diabetes. Vitamin E rich almond oil, one of the best solutions for skin care and hair care, is used in various beauty products and cosmetics. It is also very commonly used as an alternative medicine for aromatherapy or massage therapy. Walnut oil is popularly used as a cooking oil.

With their excellent culinary and nutritional benefits, edible nuts make a great dietary choice. Being a great source of energy, they are highly effective brain foods.