Pine Nuts Nutrition

The ivory colored seeds, situated in cones, come from pine trees and are a favorite among not only some of the herbivores and songbirds, but also for humans over a long span now. Pine nuts are essential ingredients in a number of dishes cooked around the world.

In the pine cone, these nuts are in the form of seeds and they are often covered by a rigid hull. Once the hull is removed, the nut is ready to be eaten raw or even cooked into a delicacy. These nuts are very famous for their nutritional values, which increase with the size of the nut.

Some of the facts about the nuts are that they are known by a number of names such as pignoli, pinon nuts, or even Indian nuts. They have a buttery flavor hence they are added to some salads and are also used in making the famous Italian pesto sauce. Italian pignolia cookies are also made using the nuts as the main ingredient.

The pine nut oil which has a very strong taste, hence is used in flavoring many vegetables and salads.

Like walnuts, peanuts, and many other nutritional nuts, the pine nut also contains minerals like magnesium and iron, phosphorous, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamins, and also some essential amino acids needed by the body. Some of the nutritional benefits include suppression of appetite, antioxidant protection, cardiovascular health maintenance, etc.

One of the signs of aging is 'free radical damage', which means premature aging of skin due to minute chemical particles called free radicals. This is caused by diet, stress, and other factors. Pine nuts consist of a number of antioxidants such as Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and lutein which acts as mega-vitamins and help protect cells from free radical damage and also improves vision.

Cholecystokinin is a hormone that acts as an appetite suppressant and has its source in the nuts. They also contain pinolenic acid that enhance other hormones, which act as hunger suppressors and hence the nutrition is found to give energy as well as reduce hunger

• It contains 1-5 g of fiber which reduces abnormalities like constipation and toxicity, by helping in regular bowel movements and keeping the colon walls clean.

• Oleic Acid, a mono-unsaturated fat, which controls cholesterol levels, is also found in the nuts and this helps in reducing the effects of certain diseases.

• Vitamin K plays a major role in blood clotting, releasing menstrual cramps, and improving circulation. These nuts are very rich with this vitamin.
• Minerals such as magnesium (17%), zinc (11%), iron (8%), and copper (17%) find their source in the nuts.

They can be summed up to 150-200 calories for one serving. The fat content is about 18 g of fatwith 5.2 g of mono-saturated and 9.5 poly-unsaturated fat, which can prove to be healthy for slim people. The nutrition can be summed up as follows.

Dried pine nuts contain:

• 8-10 calories
• 0.08 g fiber
• 0.24 g carbohydrates
• 0.42 g protein
• 0.89 g fat

Pine nuts show rancidity, faster than any other nuts, hence they should be stored in air tight containers and refrigerated in the freezers. However, as their shelf life is not more than three to four months, one should try finishing them before that. The nuts are expensive, yet have a huge market in the US. To increase the storage, these nuts can be roasted in an oven or on top of a stove.

There's no better way of enjoying pine nuts than eating them raw, or even crushing them into salads and vegetables, or simply enjoying a healthy hot soup which provides all the nutrients needed by our body.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.