THE VALUE OF NUTS

Evening Star, Issue 20048, 13 December 1928, Page 15

THE VALUE OF NUTS

BUILDING ft HEALTHY BODY Four main factors are responsible for the important position nuts _ should occupy as foods —namely, their high content of protein, great richness in oil, tho presence of vitamin B, and their store of several of the minerals essential to life, states a, leaflet issued by the New Health Society, Loudon. Tho flesh-forming constituent, called protein, is usually about one-fifth of the weight of the edible portion in nuts. The chestnut appears to be tho only notable exception; this, though poor in oi and protein, is unique in that half its weight is due to starch. Actual feeding experiments have shown that the proteins of tho almond, coepanut, peanut, Brazil nut, filbert and English, walnut are of high biological value. In short, nuts provide what is known as “good” protein—that is, protein which can supply all the necessary bricks in right quantity required for the building materia) of a healthy bony. Nuts have long been, valued for their oil, which usually comprises from half to two-thirds of their weight; their fuel value is consequently high. In view of their rich oil content the presence of fat-soluble vitamins might bo expected. Unfortunately, experiment has not realised this expectation, all the edible nuts tested having proved to be poor sources of vitamin A. Vitamin 0, the antiscorbutic factor, also appears to bo absent. It is for their rich store of vitamin B that we must regard the family of nuts as of special value. Because of their concentrated makeup. nuts have been popularly supposed to be difficult of digestion, Tho careful | observations of Professor Jaffa on fruitarians in California, however, have shown quite definitely that nuts arc not specially resistant to the digestive functions, and, if used in the diet with due regard to their concentrated nature, constitute ■ valuable human foods. .