Nut (food)


In cuisine, dry nuts are dry, edible fruits or seeds that usually, but not always, have a high fat content.
, left, and its seed, right, having been removed from its pericarp
in shell and empty shell, above; removed from shell, below
A nut in cuisine is a much less restrictive and older meaning of the word than the narrow meaning of nut in botany; the term is applied to many seeds that are not botanically nuts. Any large, oily kernels found within a shell and used in food are commonly called nuts. They are often used in making nut butters, a paste of the nuts and oil.
Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. Many seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, or pressed for oil that is used in cookery and cosmetics.
Nuts used for food, whether true nut or not, are among the most common food allergens.
, sold as a snack food.
Some fruits and seeds that do not meet the botanical definition but are nuts in the culinary sense are:
Currently roughly a dozen nuts are responsible for the bulk of worldwide nut production. The major nut-producing countries for each of the major commercial nuts are:
International trade in exported edible nuts is substantial. In 2004, for example, exports amounted to $5.2 billion, with 56% of these exports coming from developing countries.

Nutrition

Constituents

Nuts are the source of energy and nutrients for the new plant. They contain a relatively large quantity of calories, essential unsaturated and monounsaturated fats including linoleic acid and linolenic acid, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Many nuts are good sources of vitamin E, vitamin B2, folate, fiber, and essential minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.
This table lists the percentage of various nutrients in four unroasted seeds.
NameProteinTotal fatSaturated fatPolyunsaturated fatMonounsaturated fatCarbohydrate
Almonds21.2650.643.88112.21432.15528.1
Walnuts15.2365.216.12647.1748.93319.56
Peanuts23.6849.666.89315.69424.6426.66
Pistachio20.6144.445.4413.45523.31934.95

Research

Nuts are under preliminary research to assess whether their consumption may lower risk for some diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. A 2014 review indicated that consuming one or more servings of nuts or peanut butter per day could lower the risk of ischemic heart disease, overall cardiovascular disease, stroke in women, and all-cause mortality.