Pine nuts: useful properties and contraindications, calorie content, composition

Lovers of nutritious and healthy foods are often interested in the benefits and harms of pine nuts. To figure out who can and cannot use nuts, you first need to learn about all the key points.

Chemical composition and calorie content of pine nuts

The internal composition of the product, of course, testifies to the great benefits of pine nuts for the human body. The nuts contain:

• subgroup B vitamins - almost completely from B1 to B9;
• vitamins E, C and K;
• vitamin PP, or nicotinic acid;
• potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and calcium;
• iron and zinc;
• rather rare manganese and selenium;
• iodine;
• amino acids;
• tannins;
• ethers.

The calorie content of 100 g of nuts is about 673 kcal. This is a high figure, therefore, it is recommended to adjust the daily intake of the product in order to avoid harm.

Why are pine nuts useful?

The product has much more valuable properties than contraindications, although the benefits and harms of pine nuts are inseparable from each other. With the regular presence of nuts in the diet:

• improve the functioning of the stomach and intestines, normalize metabolic processes in the body;
• promote the restoration of liver function, strengthen blood vessels and prevent atherosclerosis;
• protect the cardiovascular system from ailments;
• help with diabetes mellitus, restore strength in case of anemia;
• have a beneficial effect in inflammatory gynecological diseases;
• help with hypotension and normalize hormonal levels;
• help get rid of allergies;
• strengthens joints and helps with rheumatism, arthritis and osteochondrosis.

The anti-cancer properties of nuts are highly respected. Even official medicine recommends using them as a gentle but effective prevention.

For women

The benefits of pine nuts for a woman's body is that they provide effective assistance for gynecological disorders. Nuts regulate the production of female hormones, relieve inflammation, help normalize the cycle and reduce the unpleasant symptoms of menstruation. The properties of the product have a positive effect on female beauty - nuts help to maintain youth longer, tighten and cleanse the skin, and restore strength to the hair.

For men

The health benefits of pine nuts for men are their tonic properties. Nuts improve sexual function and increase libido. Eating the product is good for the health of blood vessels and heart - nuts protect against ischemia, atherosclerosis and heart attacks.

For children

The benefits of pine nuts for children are quite large - the product saturates the developing body with vitamins and minerals, improves mental activity and strengthens the nervous system. But the benefits of pine nuts for the child's body will be able to appear only after 2 years - before this period, the baby simply will not be able to assimilate them.

Pine nuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Having considered the properties of the product, it is very difficult to overestimate the benefits of pine nuts for pregnant women. The product improves blood clotting and promotes the full development of a growing fetus, protects a woman from a lack of calcium and regulates hormonal mood swings. Magnesium, which is present in the composition of nuts, is very important during the period of bearing a baby, it lowers the tone of the uterus and thereby reduces the risk of miscarriage. However, the benefits of pine nuts for pregnant women are determined by the presence of contraindications. If there are bans on the use of the product or allergies, it is better to refuse nuts.

As for the lactation period, nuts can be consumed, but with precautions. Since their properties often cause severe allergies, you first need to try nuts in minimal dosages to make sure that there is no negative reaction in the baby.

Can pine nuts for weight loss

At first glance, it seems that high-calorie pine nuts are not at all suitable for use on a diet. However, this is not the case - nuts have little effect on weight indicators. The fact is that they contain a large amount of unsaturated acids and antioxidants. Thus, the benefit and harm of pine nuts for women is that the product is almost not deposited in adipose tissue, but it effectively accelerates the process of cleansing the body.

It is recommended to eat nuts for a raw food diet, there are even mono diets on cedar kernels. But eating nuts alone is permissible for no more than a couple of days, and at the same time, their intake must still be combined with other healthy low-calorie foods.

How many pine nuts can you eat per day

The benefits and harms of pine nuts for the body depend on the daily dosage. It is not recommended to abuse the product as it damages digestion. The optimal daily allowance for a healthy person is no more than 50 g of cedar kernels.

Treatment with pine nuts

Pine nuts are actively used in folk medicine, thanks to their rich composition, they are beneficial even for serious diseases. As a rule, ordinary raw nuts or medicinal drinks based on them are used for the treatment of ailments.

From cough

With bronchitis, acute respiratory viral infections and flu, a decoction of pine nuts will benefit. To prepare it, you need to take a glass of peeled nucleoli, fill them with a liter of water and boil for 4 hours over low heat under a closed lid.

The finished product is cooled and then filtered. You need to take a medicinal drink on an empty stomach twice a day, and in case of a lingering cough or chronic bronchial asthma - four times a day for a month. The folk remedy has mucolytic properties and therefore promotes effective expectoration.

With diabetes mellitus

Benefits of Pine Nut Kernels for Diabetes. They contain an increased amount of protein, and it is absorbed even better than protein from poultry meat.Also, nuts contain amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and, therefore, strengthen the body of a sick person. An important property of the product is that pine nuts quickly saturate and reduce the risk of overeating, which is especially dangerous for diabetics.

With this disease, it is best to eat nuts before breakfast or afternoon tea, in the morning. It is better not to combine them with white meat or fish, because then too much protein will enter the body.

With gastritis

The healing properties of pine nuts can reduce the discomfort during exacerbations of gastritis. They need to be consumed as follows - first, the nuts are thoroughly ground with a mortar or blender, and then mixed with an equal amount of honey.

You need to take a useful remedy three times a day, in the amount of a tablespoon, shortly before eating. In total, the therapy lasts a month and, in combination with a healthy diet, brings excellent results - stomach pains subside, inflammation subsides, and gastric juice production is normalized.

With pancreatitis

During an exacerbation of the disease, it is strictly forbidden to use pine nuts, they will cause severe harm, since they will irritate the pancreas. But after reaching the remission phase, nuts will be beneficial - they have an analgesic effect and prevent the development of another inflammation.

They must be consumed with caution - no more than 40-50 g per day. It is advisable to eat nuts before meals, but it is not recommended to do this in a state of severe hunger - the product may be harmful.

Cedar tea will also benefit. It is very simple to prepare it - after the usual tea drink is infused, you need to add a teaspoon of nucleoli to it. The benefits of peeled pine nuts are the highest in the composition of drinks, while it is better to eat kernels purchased in the shell.

With oncology

The health benefits of pine nuts are so great that even oncologists advise using them for the prevention of cancerous tumors and during treatment. Only about 20 grams of raw nuts per day significantly reduces the likelihood of the spread of malignant cells in the body. You can use nuts both on their own and as part of salads, but it is advisable to take them in the morning, so that the healing effect is maximum.

Of course, in oncology, pine nuts should only supplement the intake of medications. Self-medication for this ailment is strictly prohibited, since it will turn into harm.

With myoma

The benefits of cedar cones manifest themselves in female gynecological diseases and, in particular, in fibroids. For treatment, it is recommended to take an aqueous infusion of nucleoli. To prepare it, pour boiling water over the nuts and insist for 3 hours under the lid. Then the nucleoli themselves are removed from the infusion and some fresh water is added.

You need to take a useful remedy three times a day, 100 ml, while diluting the infusion with sugar is not recommended.

The benefits and harms of pine nut shells

The pine nut shell has healing properties - it contains an increased amount of fiber and proteins, tannins and valuable minerals. Therefore, it is not necessary to throw away the peels. They can also be used to treat inflammation, to speed up wound healing and to strengthen the skeletal system.

As for the harm, it is better to refuse the use of the shell if there is a tendency to form blood clots. Tannins in the composition of a useful product strongly thicken the blood, and this can do considerable harm.

Decoction of pine nut shells

Since hard cedar shells cannot be eaten without processing, medicinal decoctions are prepared on their basis.About 3 large tablespoons of the shell are poured with a glass of water, and then boiled for half an hour over low heat and the broth is filtered after cooking.

The beneficial properties of decoction of pine nut shells are clearly manifested in case of kidney ailments - in this case, the drink should be taken throughout the month, only 70 ml three times a day. Also, the properties of cedar husk will be in demand for stomatitis and periodontal disease - you can rinse your mouth with a strong broth. And for eczema, abscesses, wounds and burns, the agent is applied externally and the skin is treated with a decoction several times a day.

The use of pine nuts in cosmetology

The beneficial properties of nuts are used in homemade self-care recipes. Cedar kernels take care of the condition of the skin, and the benefit of pine nuts for hair is that masks based on them stop hair loss.

Mask for the face

Healthy nuts tone, deeply cleanse and tighten the skin. For example, for dry and normal epidermis, you can apply the following mask:

• the shell of the nuts is ground into a homogeneous powder using a blender;
• the powder is diluted with olive oil and oatmeal;
• all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and then the thick mass is spread over the face for a quarter of an hour.

If you repeat the procedure at least twice a week, then the skin will quickly soften, and you can forget about inflammation and acne for a long time.

Scrub

Another useful cosmetic is a cleansing scrub. A small amount of the shell is thoroughly chopped and diluted with boiling water, then oatmeal is added and the mixture is ground again in a blender.

The resulting scrub with very small solid particles is applied to the face with light massage movements and held for about half an hour. The tool quickly removes wrinkles, acne and blackheads.

The benefits of pine nut jam

Soft pine cones are perfect for making delicious and healthy jam. The benefit of cedar syrup is that the treat helps to resist colds, has a beneficial effect on the stomach and strengthens blood vessels. Cedar jam is prepared like this - first, the cones themselves are boiled in plain water for half an hour, and then they are boiled for the same amount of time in prepared sugar syrup until the raw material becomes absolutely soft.

Contraindications for cedar cones jam are only renal and gastric ailments in the acute phase, hepatitis and pregnancy. The fact is that young buds contain a lot of organic acids and can harm a sensitive body.

Pine nuts with honey

Nucleoli in combination with natural honey have extremely useful properties. As a rule, for treatment and for prophylactic use, the nuts are pre-crushed and then mixed with honey in equal volumes. It is best to take the remedy three times a day for general strengthening of the body, but after a week you need to take a break for 10 days.

The beneficial properties of honey with pine nuts are that such a delicacy effectively eliminates any inflammation and also has a pronounced immunomodulatory effect.

Harm of pine nuts and contraindications for use

The beneficial properties of nut kernels can be harmful. It is not recommended to eat pine nuts:

• with severe forms of diabetes mellitus;
• with obesity;
• if you are allergic to the product itself or its individual components;
• during lactation;
• under the age of 2 years.

Since there are a lot of minerals in the nuts, you need to eat the kernels a little. An overdose of vitamins and minerals is as dangerous as a deficiency. It is not recommended to combine nuts with protein foods, as this will slow down the absorption of the nucleoli.

How to peel pine nuts

The shell of the cedar kernels is hard, and it is impossible to split it with your fingers.Therefore, it is best to use a special garlic press or regular pliers to peel nuts, you can also use a hammer.

But frying the nuts in order to make their shell more fragile is not recommended. When heated, the nucleoli will lose almost all useful properties.

How to choose pine nuts when buying

Not everyone knows that low-quality pine nuts can even be poisoned. That is why you need to be careful when choosing a product in a store.

1. The best choice would be pine nuts, which are sold in the shell. Their high quality can almost be guaranteed - the nucleoli inside retain all the useful substances.
2. Since nuts are harvested in September and October, the date of manufacture of a useful product should also fall in early autumn.
3. The safest are nuts sold in a vacuum package. They are reliably protected from harmful microorganisms and mold.

But nuts by weight, especially peeled, are better not to buy. At best, they will hardly be of any use, and if the circumstances are unfortunate, they can cause severe harm. Poisons accumulate in rancid nuts, and they cause severe poisoning in the human body.

How to store pine nuts

The rules for storing nuts are quite simple - you need to keep them in the refrigerator, away from direct sun. The nucleoli should lie in a vacuum package or an airtight container.

At the same time, peeled nuts, even at low temperatures, retain their beneficial properties for a maximum of about three weeks, if you do not put them in the freezer. But unrefined kernels can be stored for up to 2 years and remain very useful.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of pine nuts depend primarily on the quality of the nucleoli themselves. If the nuts are recently harvested and stored in the right conditions, then they will not harm most people, but will only help to cope with many ailments.

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