Check out today's hot buys. Nuts, yes, fatty nuts, are back on the menu, even for people on diets to prevent heart disease, or cancer, or to lose weight. Packed with nutrients needed to start a new generation of plants, nuts are increasingly being recognised as powerhouses of health-promoting substances, especially for people who need to lower their cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure. The walnut, while short on monounsaturates, is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, the kind of fat that counters blood clots that can cause heart attacks and strokes. Two other antioxidants in nuts, quercetin and campferol, may suppress the growth of cancers.
Most nuts are also fairly good sources of protein.
One ounce of peanuts supplies 7.2 g of protein, nearly as much as a glass of milk. More important may be the fact that the protein in nuts is especially rich in an amino acid called arginine. This aids the body's synthesis of nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to widen. In turn, this lowers blood pressure, counteracting the stiffness of cholesterol-clogged arteries, and, perhaps, reduces further clogging. The cholesterol found in nuts contains plant-based sterols that counter atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fatty deposits in blood vessels.