Health Benefits of Dry Fruits (cont’d)
Pistachios (Pista)
Pista flavor is definitely yummy. Be it pista ice-cream or halwa, or chopped up raw on our pedhas, we love pistas! But we must, especially diabetics must, make a point of eating them raw everyday as it helps stabilize blood sugar and protects the heart.
- Eye Health – Pistachios contain a wide variety of nutrients called carotenoids that are beneficial to eye health.
- Stable Blood Sugar – The University of Toronto performed a study that showed that pistachios may stabilize blood sugar levels and can be a good snack item for diabetics.
- Digestion – Pistachios contain fiber, which helps people feel fuller for longer periods of time. Fiber helps keep the digestive system operating normally and prevents constipation.
- Heart – The nut contains good fats that can help lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. Pistachios also provide with a healthy dose of vitamin B6 that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.
- Protein – Pistachio nuts are an excellent source of vegetable protein. Pistachios eaten with grains, vegetables, and fruits, can help you add complete protein to your diet
- Fiber – Pistachios contain higher amounts of fiber that helps keep the digestive system operating normally and prevents constipation.
Walnut (Akhrot)
They may look weird and are difficult to break but crack them in a door hinge and eat the brain like nut inside to help just that – your Brain!
- Omega 3 – Walnuts are the only nuts that have omega-3 fatty acids in high amounts. These nutrients provide anti-inflammatory benefits in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.
- Brain food – Nearly 60% of our brain structure is fats which are primarily omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are also called the ‘Brain food’ because they provide plenty of omega-3..
- Sleep – Melatonin present in walnuts is a powerful antioxidant that induces a good night’s sleep.
- Heart – Omega-3 fatty acids prevents erratic heart rhythms and regulates plaque formation in blood vessels, and the essential amino acid l-arginine in walnuts improves the elasticity of blood vessels improving cardiovascular health.
- Protein – Walnuts are an excellent source of a proteins, fiber, B vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese.
- Laxative – These nuts are helpful in easing constipation due to their laxative effects.
- Cancer – Its anticancer properties also help in fighting the dreaded disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease – Research indicates that walnuts may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by arresting the formation of the amyloid plaques that are found in the brains of patients who suffer from this disease.
- Black walnuts – Black walnuts prevent heartburn, high blood pressure and various skin disorders. It gets rid of intestinal parasites and tapeworms and helps in ensuring proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
Dates (Khajoor)
You hear of this fruit often and associate it to the deserts and the Arabs but have you ever wondered how the Arabs manage to survive simply on dates? That’s because dates are high on calories and energy. Need weight gain? Look no further…
- Constipation – To get the laxative effect from dates, you need to soak dates for one full night in water and consume these soaked dates in the morning like syrup.
- Intestinal disorders – Continuous intake of dates helps to maintain a check on the growth of the pathological organisms and thus, helps in the rise of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
- Weight Gain – Dates consist of sugar, fats, proteins as well as many essential vitamins. One date has 20 calories (equals to one spoon of sugar but healthier). 1kg of dates = 3000 calories.
- Healthy Heart –Israeli researchers have discovered that eating dates daily can protect against atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes Hence dates are helpful in maintaining your heart’s health.
- Sexual Weakness – Dates are beneficial for increasing sexual stamina. A handful of dates, when soaked in fresh goat’s milk for the night and then grinded in the same milk with cardamom powder and honey, becomes a very useful tonic for increasing sex stamina.
- Diarrhea – Ripe dates contain potassium that is beneficial for controlling diarrhea.
- Intoxication – Dates are known as an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication.
