You may be aware that most varieties of nuts are very good for you. Nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios, and several others contain high amounts of fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients. Seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower, and flax, have long been a popular snack food choice, and they are just as healthful as gourmet nuts. Here are five types of seeds and information on their health benefits:

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are available year around but are obviously more plentiful in the fall. Pumpkins themselves are from the canteloupe and squash family. The seeds are best served lightly roasted and salted, and they contain numerous B vitamins which are beneficial for your skin, eyesight, and circulation. They are also an excellent source of iron and protein.

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are becoming more popular due to the known health benefits of flax seed oil. These seeds have a taste similar to sunflower seeds and they are loaded with vitamins. They are high in fiber, contain no cholesterol, and contain significant amounts of helpful omega 3 compounds. Flax seeds contain minimal carbohydrates and are often recommended as an ideal snack for those concerned about heart health.

Sunflower Seeds

Long a popular snack, sunflower seeds contain healthy fats similar to what you find in olive oil. This type of fat helps blood flow and lowers cholesterol levels. Like flax seeds, sunflower seeds are a low carbohydrate, high protein choice.

Sesame Seeds

These seeds are used most commonly as an add on for salads or baked into artisan breads. They are also one of the main ingredients in hummus. They have a unique nutty taste and are low in saturated fat. Further, they contain significant amounts of iron and fiber.

Watermelon Seeds

Did you know you can eat watermelon seeds? They are delicious roasted and lightly salted, with a taste similar to sunflower seeds. They contain several B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, protein, and fiber.

Summary

Just like gourmet nuts, these varieties of seeds make ideal snack choices not only for their great taste, but their healthy qualities as well. Further, they are very versatile and can be used as garnishes, in recipes, or as a stand alone treat.

Author: Jim Hofman
Source: ezinearticles.com

There are many nuts health benefits from eating a variety of nuts every day.

Nuts help to reduce the factors that lead to cancer.

Nuts have antiviral properties.

Nuts help in keeping arteries elasticity and control blood pressure.

This all helps to keep your heart healthy and benefit your overall health.

There are many varieties of nuts. Each has its own amount of vitamins, minerals, and health benefits. That is why it is good to be sure that you incorporate as many kinds of nuts into your diet as possible.

Here are some examples of a few types of nuts and their individual benefits:

Walnuts: This is one of the best type of nuts that you can add to your meal or as a snack. It provides great anti-inflammatory benefits and this is important especially to the elderly. Also if you have skin problems, eating walnuts can help with eczema and psoriasis.

Hazelnuts: If you are familiar with the importance of antioxidants and want to add foods to your diet that are high in them then hazelnuts are the way to go. You will also get a good amount of protein, fiber, and iron from this nut.

Pecans: This is one of the most widely eaten nuts but you may not know that it is very high in unsaturated fat. Now this is the good fat that your body needs to fulfill it’s daily functions. This is one nut that can give you that sensation of feeling full by eating only a handful. This is important to persons that are wanting to lose weight and control their hunger.

There are many more benefits of eating these healthy nuts that you should find out about.