Research has shown that the mineral selenium found in Brazil nuts may protect against breast cancer.
But all nuts are a nutritional treasure trove.
Read our good nut guide below to find out which ones can hlep beat cancer, stress, heart disease and boost your diet.
PEANUTS: help the heart
564 calories, 26g protein, 46g fat, 85p per 300g bag of peanuts in their shells (monkey nuts). Star nutrient: folate Nut score: 8/10
Like almonds, eating peanuts need not make you pile on the pounds. In one recent study, people eating 1,500 calories a day - of which 35per cent came from fat, much in the form of peanuts and peanut butter - were shown to lose and keep off 10lb over 18 months. Nutritionists believe this is because the nuts and peanut butter made their eating plan more pleasurable and easier to stick to than a strict low-fat diet.
Peanuts are great for boosting the B vitamin folate, 50g providing more than 25per cent of the daily 200mcg recommended amount. Healthy intakes of folate appear to lower levels of homocysteine in men, which, when raised, can lead to blocked arteries and heart disease.
BRAZIL NUTS: fight cancer
682 calories, 14g protein, 68g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag. Star nutrient: selenium
Nut score: 10/10
Packed with selenium, just three to four a day provide the daily recommended intake of 60mcg for women (75mcg for men). Research has shown that people with diets rich in selenium have lower rates of various cancers, especially those of the lung, prostate and colon. New research from the dermatology department of the University of Edinburgh has also shown that increasing selenium might also directly protect skin cells from cancerous changes caused by ultra-violet radiation.
HAZELNUTS: anti-stress
650 calories, 14g protein, 64g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag Star nutrient: vitamin E
Nut score: 7/10
Exceptionally rich in vitamin E, providing double a woman's vitamin E needs of 3mg in just 25g - 30 kernels. One of vitamin E's main roles in the body is as an antioxidant, helping to protect cell walls from damage by free radicals, excessive levels of which build up when we are exposed to pollution, stress and too much sun. Recent research suggests a role for vitamin E in postponing the development of cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The oil from hazelnuts is also almost identical in nutritional composition to heart-friendly olive oil.
ALMONDS: diet friendly612 calories, 21g protein, 56g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag. Star nutrient: calcium
Nut score: 10/10
New research has shown that eating almonds does not necessarily lead to weight gain, in spite of a high fat and calorie content.
Almonds: diet friendly
Women who ate 40 almonds a day stayed at their starting weight during a six-month test.Scientists concluded this ' nonfattening' effect could, in part, be because almonds took the place of other calorific snacks such as crisps and biscuits, but they also believe that not all of the fat in almonds is absorbed.
Almonds are bursting with the bone-building mineral, calcium. Just 50g of almonds supply over a seventh of a woman's daily 700mg calcium needs.
WALNUTS: protect skin
688 calories, 15g protein, 69g fat, £1.29 per 100g bag Star nutrient: alpha linolenic acid
Nut score: 10/10
Scientists have found that people who add walnuts to a cholesterol-lowering diet can reduce their levels of 'bad' cholesterol by an extra 16 per cent, probably because walnuts are rich in a type of good fat called alpha linolenic acid that appears to have a specific blood-thinning and anticlotting effect.
Walnuts also supply the mineral copper, needed to make melanin, the skin pigment which helps to protect against the harmful effects of ultra-violet radiation.
CASHEWS: iron packed
573 calories, 18g protein, 48g fat, £1.99 per 150g bag. Star nutrient: iron
Nut score: 7/10
Cashews boast double the amount of iron of most other nuts with 50g - 25 cashews - providing 3mg of the 11mg needed each day by women.
Improving iron levels in the body has been linked to better concentration.
Cashews are also great for zinc, with 25 nuts providing about a third of our daily 9mg needs. Essential for a robust immune system and good quality skin, zinc is also vital for fertility in both men and women.
CHESTNUTS: body fuel
170 calories, 2g protein, 3g fat, £1.99 for 500g frozen available all year round. Star nutrient: carbohydrate
Nut score: 7/10
Unique in the nut world for their low fat content, more than 86per cent of the calories in chestnuts comes from carbohydrate. This makes them a good snack choice for people wanting to refuel with carbohydrates after a physical workout or as part of a low-fat diet.
Around 100g of roasted chestnuts provide 50mg of the 700mg of calcium needed daily by women for healthy bones.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-186874/The-good-nut-guide.html
