They have many health benefits, which include:
- They are high in fibre, which helps you stay feeling full for longer, and speeds up the rate at which food moves through your body.
- They are a good source of protein, as most vegetarians already know, which is essential ofr all cells in the body, including the chemicals which affect your mood and mental health
- They are also a good source of essential fatty acids (good fats) which are really important for good mental health
- They contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals (which varies between different varieties) - these include several of the B vitamins, vitamin E and Selenium.
As the amount of nutrients varies between varieties of nuts, a good way to get a good balance is to eat an assortment of mixed nuts (and seeds, I will cover these in another post). Unsalted are best.
I will be covering all the different vitamins and minerals and their health benefits in further articles if you would like to know more.