Chestnuts have been a valued food source in lots of cultures. Chestnuts are a scrumptious treat, either roasted or prepared in soups or other dishes, and have substantial nutritional worth.
Chestnuts are lower in fat than similar nuts such as pecans and walnuts– excellent news if you have been encouraged by your doctor to view your consumption. Chestnuts have a pleasing taste and are packed with nutrients.
Chestnuts may look like an average, daily nut, however they have a number of important health advantages including their ability to improve digestive health, reinforce bones, handle diabetes, lower blood pressure, protect cardiovascular health and improve the body immune system. They also increase cognition and prevent chronic illnesses.
Are Chestnuts Good for You?
Chestnuts are edible nuts produced by the trees and shrubs of the Castanea genus, which are commonly found throughout the northern hemisphere. While there are a number of various species of chestnuts, most of them have comparable qualities and nutritional profiles.
They need to not be confused with horse chestnuts (toxicant), which are quite different. There are a number of methods which chestnut trees are used to obtain health benefits, although the fruit of the tree is arguably the most popular.
Roasted chestnuts are the most popular, however they are likewise frequently candied, boiled, pureed, ground into flour for bread-making, grilled, steamed, and deep-fried, among numerous other preparations. They are enjoyed throughout the world for their special flavor!
Chestnuts offer high levels of dietary fiber, minerals, ‘good’ fats, vitamins, nutrients, antioxidant compounds and other essential components that comprise a healthy diet.
Chestnuts Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Chestnuts, raw | |
Nutrition Facts | |
Serving Size | 1 oz |
Calories | 63.5 |
Calories from Fat | 2.8 |
Total Fat | 0.31g |
Saturated Fat | 0.05g |
Trans Fat | – |
Cholesterol | 0mg |
Sodium | 0.85mg |
Total Carbohydrate | 13.91g |
Dietary Fiber | – |
Total Sugars | – |
Protein | 1.19g |
Water | 12.46g |
Vitamins | |
Vitamin A | 57.27IU |
Vitamin B6 | 0.12mg |
Vitamin B12 | 0mcg |
Vitamin C | 10.21mg |
Vitamin D | 0IU |
Vitamin E | 0.02mg |
Vitamin K | – |
Choline Total | – |
Folate Total | 19.28mcg |
Niacin (B3) | 0.23mg |
Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.16mg |
Riboflavin (B2) | 0.05mg |
Thiamin (B1) | 0.05mg |
Minerals | |
Calcium | 5.1mg |
Copper | 0.1mg |
Fluoride | – |
Iron | 0.4mg |
Magnesium | 23.81mg |
Manganese | 0.45mg |
Phosphorus | 27.22mg |
Potassium | 126.72mg |
Selenium | – |
Sodium | – |
Zinc | 0.25mg |
Now, let’s dig a bit deeper into the lots of health benefits of chestnuts.
Avoid Diabetes
Many individuals are uninformed of the considerable function that dietary fiber can play in the guideline, avoidance, and management of diabetes. Foods that are high in dietary fiber, like chestnuts, are considered a low glycemic food, which indicates that they cause blood sugar level to rise slowly as compared with high glycemic foods.
This helps avoid the spikes and drops in blood sugar that can be unsafe for diabetic patients, and are typically precursors to the development of diabetes in those currently unaffected.
Increase Immune System
The high concentration of vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds in chestnuts make them an ideal boost to your body immune system.
Vitamin C not just stimulates the production of white blood cells but also serves as an antioxidant, looking for free radicals within the body and neutralizing them prior to they cause healthy cells to alter or induce oxidative stress near essential organs. This can help the body immune system focus its efforts on pathogens and preventing illnesses.
Increase Bone Mineral Density
Copper and magnesium aren’t the first things that a person considers when it comes to bone health, however copper is incredibly important in the process by which the body absorbs iron, which is likewise essential for bone growth and development.
Magnesium is very good for increasing bone mineral density and offers a variety of other health benefits. With these vital minerals that are found in chestnuts, you can prevent or slow the onset of lots of age-related disorders, such as osteoporosis.
Ease Digestive Issues
Chestnuts have one of the highest content of dietary fiber in the world of “nuts”, which suggests that they are powerful allies in any intestinal struggle.
Dietary fiber helps stimulate peristaltic movement in the intestinal tracts, hence controling your defecation and avoiding inflammation and discomfort. Dietary fiber can likewise help enhance the absorption of nutrients, which indicates getting more out of the food you eat and a better total nutrient profile.
Improve Brain Function
Brain function and cognition are enhanced in a number of methods through the usage of chestnuts. First off, these nuts are abundant in the B family vitamins which are straight linked to appropriate neurological development and function.
Furthermore, the potassium discovered in chestnuts can increase blood circulation to the brain and promote great nerve system health, therefore increasing concentration, retention, and memory.
Avoid Chronic Illnesses
Chronic illnesses of all kinds are caused by the release of complimentary radicals, the natural by-products of cellular respiration. These can cause healthy cells to alter, leading to cancer, oxidative stress and a number of chronic illnesses.
Without anti-oxidants, like those discovered in chestnuts, our body would be battling fights on many fronts, so increasing your defenses with a handful of chestnuts a day is a great idea.
Control Blood Pressure
When it concerns decreasing blood pressure, few minerals are as necessary as potassium.
Potassium controls water motion within the body, as well as functions as a vasodilator, increasing blood circulation and launching the stress on restricted blood vessels and arteries. This reduction in blood pressure can improve total cardiovascular health and reduce your risk of cardiac arrest and strokes.
Enhance Heart Health
Many individuals think of fats as a bad thing, which is to be burned off during a diet, however in reality, our body needs a number of other fats to work usually.
These excellent fats, found in high concentrations in chestnuts, help to stabilize cholesterol, reduce inflammation throughout the body, and lower the risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots building up in the body. All this reduces the risk of stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart problem to a greater extent.
Health Tips
Again, many individuals struggle with tree nut allergies of varying intensity, so beware when adding a new nut such as chestnut to your diet.
Talk with your doctor or a specialist before changing your nutrient profile, particularly when it might include an effective irritant. If you don’t struggle with nut allergies of any kind, then roast up a pan of these nuts and take pleasure in the benefits they supply.
Good luck! Have a nice weekend!