Nuts – natural vitamin and mineral complexes

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Aging is the cause of a number of health problems and is associated with physiological changes that increase the risk of deficiency of essential vitamins, macro- and micronutrients.

Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, proteins, and various nutrients that provide a number of health benefits.

 

Why artificial vitamins are not effective

Many people do not consume enough vitamins and minerals. Older people are at particular risk – low concentrations of vitamins and minerals are associated with an increased risk of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.

Additional intake of pharmacy vitamin-mineral complexes does not solve the problem.

Firstly, almost all vitamins, with the exception of vitamins D and K, are best taken separately, and not in complexes, due to the fact that the complex intake of vitamins makes it difficult to assimilate them, and sometimes completely neutralizes the effect of some of them.

Second, artificial vitamins are often harmful, such as the antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C.

Thirdly, artificial vitamins are in their pure form and are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, it is easy to overdose. This is one of the main dangers of artificial vitamins.

Natural vitamins contained in plant foods are in a bound state. Their absorption is slow, and the concentration of vitamins and minerals in fruits is low, and therefore an overdose is impossible.

Consumption of vitamin-mineral complexes is steadily growing, thanks to television advertising. Most people find artificial vitamins to be effective and safe.

However, long-term studies suggest that taking artificial vitamins is not always effective in preventing diseases and can be harmful to health.

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The use of artificial vitamins A and E can have a negative effect. Namely, an increase in the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Neither vitamin C nor vitamin E provide any benefits for prostate cancer prevention.

Vitamin E supplementation significantly increases the risk of prostate cancer in men.

The potential risk of consuming high doses of vitamin C is often ignored, in fact, many people consider vitamin C to be a panacea for colds and flu and take high doses for a speedy recovery, although vitamin C has no therapeutic effect on flu and colds. Read more about this in our article "Misconceptions about vitamin C".

However, high doses of vitamin C significantly increase the risk of thrombotic events. Vitamin C induces procoagulant and prothrombotic activation of erythrocytes and enhances thrombosis.

Taking ascorbic acid in high doses (7 tablets or more per week) significantly increases the risk of kidney stones.

 

Nuts as an essential component of a healthy diet

Almost all types of nuts and peanuts contain essential vitamins and minerals and are essentially natural vitamin and mineral complexes.

As stated earlier, artificial vitamins are not cancer-protective, while the anti-cancer effect of nuts, according to research, is biologically plausible.

It may also have a protective effect in colon and rectal cancer. Likewise, some studies show a possible protective effect in prostate cancer.

Nuts increase the level of trace elements, which is especially important for older people.

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Older adults who added nuts to their diet for several months saw significant improvements in magnesium and vitamin E levels in the body.

In addition, a blood test showed a decrease in glucose and low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol, in addition to an increase in magnesium and vitamin E.

Nuts are an excellent source of healthy fats, copper, and B vitamins.

Nut consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

Nuts have prebiotic properties, which contribute to the reproduction and growth of beneficial microorganisms in the human large intestine.

They contain dietary fiber, which is food for beneficial bacteria that inhabit our intestines and make up the human microbiome, the bacterial diversity and abundance of which directly affects health and longevity.

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Nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Thus, nuts are useful natural vitamin-mineral complexes that have a beneficial effect on health and, unlike artificial vitamins, do not have negative side effects.

Nut consumption should be considered as an essential component of a healthy diet.

 

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