Nuts are high in essential amino acids and fats as well as being full of energy. Often eaten as snacks, be they roasted, salted or raw, they can also be pickled and are often found in cakes and biscuits. There is more to nuts than just being a snack food.

Health Benefits of Nuts
Nuts of all sorts are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, which research suggests may help lower the risk of heart disease. Selenium-rich cashews and Brazil nuts can help protect against cancer, whereas hazelnuts and almonds contain good amounts of folate, a B-vitamin that appears to protect against both cancer and heart disease. Nuts are also high in the amino acid arginine, which helps synthesize a substance that relaxes blood vessels, reducing the danger of coronary artery disease

Regardless of all the heart-healthy evidence, however, eating nuts does have a drawback: They're relatively high in fat. Cashews and pistachios get about half their calories from fat, and macadamias nearly 75%. However, the fat in nuts is unsaturated which, research has shown, may have cholesterol-lowering properties.

Almonds
As a source of vitamins and minerals, almonds are superb, as well as containing protein, they are a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, calcium, folic acid and vitamin E. They have been shown to help normalize blood lipids, as they burn slow in the body and thus maintain normal blood sugar levels.

28 grams of whole almonds contains:
164 Calories, 6 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 3.3grams dietary fiber, 70 mg calcium, 1.2 mg iron, 206 mg potassium

Brazil Nut
Brazil nuts are known for their omega 3 fatty acid content (about 7% of the total fat) and are a good source of calcium, magnesium and selenium.

28 grams of shelled Brazil nuts contains:
186 Calories, 4 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 grams dietary fiber, 50 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 170 mg potassium

Cashew
Cashews are rich in vitamin A and are also very high in magnesium.

28 grams of salted, dry roasted cashew nuts contains:
163 Calories, 4 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 0.9 grams dietary fiber, 13 mg calcium, 1.7 mg iron, 160 mg potassium

Hazelnut
High in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamin E, hazelnuts are nutritious as well as tasty.

28 grams of chopped hazelnuts contains:
178 Calories, 4 grams protein, 17 grams fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 2.7 grams dietary fiber, 32 mg calcium, 1.3 mg iron, 193 mg potassium

Macadamia
Macadamia nuts have a useful amount of omega 3 fatty acids (2% of total fat). Their B6 content, which is normally very good, can be destroyed by roasting.

28 grams of salted, dry roasted macadamia nuts contains:
203 Calories, 2 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 2.3 grams dietary fiber, 20 mg calcium, 0.8 mg iron, 103 mg potassium

Pecan
Pecans are particularly high in vitamins A, B and E, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

28 grams of pecan nuts contains:
196 Calories, 3 grams protein, 20 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 2.7 grams dietary fiber, 20 mg calcium, 0.7 mg iron, 116 mg potassium

Peanuts
Peanuts are actually a member of the pea family and are not nuts at all. Peanuts are extremely nutritious due to their high protein and oil content, they are also rich in vitamins B and E. High in the bioflavonoid resveratol, which is thought to prevent the formation of arterial plaques (and is also found in red wine). Studies have also discovered that adding even a small amount of peanut based products to your diet can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by up to 14%.

28 grams of salted, dry roasted peanuts contains:
166 Calories, 7 grams protein, 14grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 2.3 grams dietary fiber, 15 mg calcium, 0.6 mg iron, 187 mg potassium

Pine Nuts
Pine nuts are a good source of vitamin B1 (0.3 mg per 28 grams, 20% of the RDA, more than any animal source).

28 grams of shelled pine nuts contains:
160 Calories, 7 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1.3 grams dietary fiber, 7 mg calcium, 2.6 mg iron, 170 mg potassium

Pistachio
Pistachios are a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, iron and folate as well as protein.

28 grams of salted, dry roasted pistachio nuts contains:
161 Calories, 6 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2.9 grams dietary fiber, 31 mg calcium, 1.2 mg iron, 293 mg potassium

Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of protein, iron, zinc and phosphorous. They are also a good source of vitamin A and, to a lesser extent, B1, B2 and B3.

28 grams of salted, roasted pumpkin seeds contains:
148 Calories, 9 grams protein, 12 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1.1 grams dietary fiber, 12 mg calcium, 4.2 mg iron, 229 mg potassium

Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are a particularly good source of protein (19%) and calcium (one of the highest when the husks are intact).

1 tablespoon (8 grams) of sesame seeds contains:
47 Calories, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 1 grams carbohydrate, 0.9 grams dietary fiber, 10 mg calcium, 0.6 mg iron, 33 mg potassium

Sunflower Seeds
A good source of potassium and phosphorous, sunflower seeds also contain protein, iron (7 mg per 100 grams) and calcium (174 mg per cup). They are also a good source of linoleic acid (30mg per 100 grams, which may help reduce cholesterol deposits in the arteries and veins.

28 grams of salted, roasted sunflower seeds contains:
186 Calories, 6 grams protein, 16 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2.9 grams dietary fiber, 22 mg calcium, 1.2 mg iron, 272 mg potassium

Walnut
Walnuts are a good source of phosphorous, potassium and magnesium as well as proteins and vitamin E.

28 grams of shelled walnuts contains:
185 Calories, 4 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1.9 grams dietary fiber, 29 mg calcium, 0.8 mg iron, 125 mg potassium

Allergies
Allergic reaction to nuts can progress rapidly to anaphylaxis. Peanut allergy is responsible for more fatalities than any other type of allergy. If you suffer from a nut allergy, strictly avoid nuts, particularly peanuts, cashews and walnuts and foods containing nuts. However, it is not always easy to avoid these foods since many unsuspecting products contain nuts.

Always check the label ingredients before you use a product. In addition, check the label each time you use the product. Manufacturers occasionally change recipes, and a trigger food may be added to the new recipe. Also, keep in mind that many prepared foods, including baked goods, candy and ethnic foods, can be contaminated with peanuts if products containing peanuts are prepared in the same place or by the same manufacturer.