Buy Australian Magazine June 2016

FEATURE
Nuts about Nuts
If you are nuts about nuts then you have not only been enjoying a great variety of tasty treats
but you have also been doing your body a favour as nuts are known to have many nutritional health benefits.
The increase in nut consumption in Australia and around the world has risen rapidly over the past ten years. A fact that
might surprise many is that the Australian Tree nut industry is Australian horticultures largest industry (3 times larger than
table grapes and citrus), and also Australian agriculture’s largest export industry (reaching export values of over $1 billion
in 2015). This growth has in large part been driven by rising global consumer demand, which is the result of greater focus on
health and healthy diets. (e.g. Mediterranean diet).
So what is everyone going nuts over. Nuts were once off the waist watchers’ diet for being too high in fat, but over the last
few years a leading health awareness initiative - Nuts for Life, has been changing the way we think about these wholesome
little nuggets.
The aim of the Nuts for life programme is to educate the public, health advocates, health professionals and the media
about the health benefits of a daily healthy handful of nuts. The recent Australian Healthy Survey (2011-13) found on
average Australians eat just 6 grams of nuts a day, well short of the 30 gram serving size recommended in the Australian
Dietary Guidelines.
Tree nuts include: Almond, Brazil nut, Cashew, Chestnut, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, Pine nut, Pistachio and Walnut.
(Peanuts are not included as they are actually legumes).
What does 30grams of nuts looks like? Well it’s about...
• 20 almonds
• 10 brazil nuts
• 15 cashews
• 4 chestnuts
• 20 hazelnuts
• 15 macadamias
• 15 pecans
• 2 pine nuts
• 30 pistachio kernels out of shell
• 9 walnuts
Or the amount of nuts that fits in an espresso cup, on a post it note or in a shot glass
Research tells us that, compared with those that don’t eat nuts, those who do eat nuts:
• Tend to have a better diet quality
• Tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI)
• Are less likely to gain weight over time
• Are less likely to be at risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome
• More likely to have normal levels of blood cholesterol and blood glucose
• And are more likely to live longer.
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