1. About Nuts update

This is already the third year of the About Nuts initiative. The goal of the initiative is still to inform consumers and professionals about the health aspects of peanuts and nuts and about the about the research developments in this area. However, the scope of About Nuts has been broadened rapidly over the years. At the moment the About Nuts initiative is active in six different countries, and newsletters are sent to consumer press and professionals in the Netherlands, Germany, England, Switzerland and Austria. The newsletters, recipes and background information on the health aspects of peanuts and nuts can also be found on the website: www.aboutnuts.com.

2. Snacking nuts can benefit your cholesterol

Nuts fit perfectly in a cholesterol-lowering diet. This is again the outcome of two recent studies. These studies show that by eating a portion of macadamia nuts and pistachio nuts a day you can reduce your LDL cholesterol levels considerably.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is one of the body fats. There are two types of cholesterol: a ‘good’ type called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and a ‘bad’ type called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The ‘bad’ type narrows your arteries while the ‘good’ type cleans your arteries. Too much ‘bad’ cholesterol in your blood is not a disease in itself, but can lead to the hardening and narrowing of your arteries and therefore contribute to the development cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

The study

In the present studies, either pistachios or macadamias were eaten on a daily basis by the participants to see if this would affect their cholesterol levels in a positive way. The respondents in the macadamia study included 43 grams of macadamia nuts in their daily diet for five weeks. As a result, their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was lowered by 9 per cent. The respondents in the pistachio study incorporated 60 grams of pistachio nuts in their daily diet for four weeks. The 15 participants of the pistachio study were able to decrease their LDL cholesterol by 14 per cent.

Claim

Both studies showed that including nuts in the daily diet can have significant heart health benefits. The FDA has even allowed the heart health claim for tree nuts: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 43 grams per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Sources:
1. Griel et al. A macadamia nut-rich diet reduces total and LDL-cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women. Journal of Nutrition 2008 138(4):761-7.
2. Sheridan et al. Pistachio Nut Consumption and Serum Lipid Levels Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2007 26(2):141-148.

3. The potential role of nuts in the prevention of cancer

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Europe for both men and women. High consumption of fruit and vegetable is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of cancer. Many of the compounds in fruit and vegetables that are said to reduce the risk of cancer can also be found in peanuts and nuts.
Researchers have recently looked into the role of nuts in the prevention of cancer. The research, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, concluded that there are numerous nutrients and mechanisms of action in nuts that could reduce the risk of cancer. Two compounds that could play a positive role are the antioxidants vitamin E and zinc, which are also to be found in all types of nuts. Furthermore, numerous other factors also help, such as the high fibre content of almonds, walnuts and pistachio nuts, together with the high flavonoid and polphynol content in almonds, pine nuts, walnuts and pecans and the folic acid in pine nuts, almonds and hazelnuts.

The researchers concluded that, although there are very few studies that actually analysed the relationship between nuts and the risk of cancer, it is likely that nuts have a preventive effect against colonic cancer, rectal cancer and prostatic cancer. More research is necessary to pinpoint the exact role of peanuts and nuts in preventing cancer.

Source:
1. González CA, Salas-Salvadó JS. The potential of nuts in the prevention of cancer. British journal of nutrition. 2006 96(2): S87-S94

4. Cooking with nuts: Risotto with green and white asparagus and macadamias

Main course – serves 4

• 2 shallots, chopped
• Olive oil
• 300 g risotto rice
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 100 g salted macadamias, roughly chopped
• 250 g green asparagus and 250 g white asparagus (fresh or tinned), cleaned and cut into pieces
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Glaze the shallots in a little olive oil.
Add the risotto rice and stir well.
Add the white wine.
Add most of the stock, keeping a little separate.
Continue to stir until the liquid has evaporated.
After approx. 15-20 min. add the macadamias, the pieces of asparagus and turn up the heat for a few moments.
Add the rest of the stock, so t the risotto remains moist.
Serve the risotto in deep plates and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation time: approx. 30 min.
Nutritional value per person:
500 kcal • 12 g protein • 19 g fat • 5 g saturated fat • 64 g carbohydrates