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Why You Shouldn’t Eat Nuts That Taste Bitter

Bitter-tasting nuts can have negative health consequences. We explain how you should deal with bitter nuts and which regional nut varieties are best for consumption.

Bitter nuts can be harmful to your health. They may contain mold or toxins. If the nuts are also stored warm and moist, they can release so-called mycotoxins. These are certain mold toxins that are produced during the metabolism of mold. A distinction is made between different mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, for example.

If nuts are discolored or have a bad odor, do not eat them. But beware, the mold in mycotoxins can sometimes be recognized neither by its appearance nor by its smell. However, a bitter taste or discoloration are signs of mycotoxins.

This is why bitter nuts can be bad for your health

According to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection, mycotoxins can affect the kidneys or liver, cause diarrhea or vomiting, weaken the immune system and, in the worst case, even promote the development of cancer. Therefore, you should definitely spit out bitter nuts immediately.

According to the agency, pistachios and peanuts are primarily affected by mycotoxins. Occasionally, however, the mold fungi can also be detected in walnuts and almonds. Therefore, you should be particularly careful with these four strains. Also make sure to always store nuts in a dry and cool place.

Nuts are healthy – if they don’t taste bitter

Nuts are a healthy snack in and of themselves, as long as they don’t taste bitter. They are mainly made up of fat and protein, which are good for the cardiovascular system. At the same time, they contain important dietary fibers that have a positive effect on digestion. However, many nut varieties have a poor ecological balance due to their long transport routes.

Nuts that are also grown in Europe include walnuts and hazelnuts. Almonds mostly come from California, but there are also Italian or Spanish ones. Therefore, for the sake of the environment, you should pay attention to the country of origin of the nuts. An organic certification guarantees you organic cultivation without the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides. With the Fairtrade seal, you also support decent working conditions and fair wages.

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How Healthy are Brazil Nuts?

Brazil nuts are considered healthy and are often part of nut mixes such as trail mix. But there is always uncertainty, because Brazil nuts are radioactive.

Ingredients of the Brazil nut: Healthy and radioactive

Brazil nuts have it all: With a fat content of 60 to 70 percent, they are particularly high in calories. However, because these are mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, nuts are actually very healthy in moderation. They also contain the minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and thus promote the growth of bones and muscles. The zinc content of the Brazil nut is also not to be scoffed at.

The Brazil nut is particularly valued because of the high amount of selenium: The nut is the largest natural supplier of the trace element and just one nut covers the daily requirement. Selenium helps to strengthen the immune system and detoxifies the body. Selenium is only found in comparable amounts in fish, meat and eggs. In addition, the Brazil nut contains a lot of vegetable protein. It is therefore particularly suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet.

Brazil nuts are naturally radioactive. Their radium content is 1000 times higher than that of other foods. Nevertheless, it is harmless if you only eat Brazil nuts every now and then.

Brazil nuts: Toxic or not?

Despite its many healthy ingredients, the Brazil nut also has a reputation for being harmful to health. Elevated levels of the mold toxin aflatoxin, which can be carcinogenic even in small amounts, have been found in Brazil nuts from Brazil. As a result, restrictions on the import of Brazil nuts were imposed by the EU. Because many countries of origin cannot meet the high requirements contained therein, the trade in Brazil nuts has declined sharply.

Aflatoxins are found in many dry products, such as grains, legumes, nuts and tea leaves, and can form quickly if stored incorrectly. They are also heat-resistant, so they can withstand cooking and baking processes. It is best to keep peeled Brazil nuts cool and dry and consume them quickly. If they have a musty, rancid taste, stop eating them. You can store unpeeled Brazil nuts for about two to three months.

The Brazil nuts that are available from us in Germany are carefully checked. In a recent report by the Federal Office for Consumer Protection, low aflatoxin levels were found almost exclusively in Brazil nuts – the green light for Brazil nuts.

Brazil nuts: Healthy, but not sustainable

All Brazil nuts available from us are imported from the tropical regions of South America or the Ivory Coast, so they have long transport routes behind them. This is problematic because a lot of environmentally harmful CO2 is emitted with the import.

Brazil nut trees are not cultivated, so the nuts are collected from wild trees. There are no monocultures with the use of pesticides, but collecting the nuts prevents the tree from spreading naturally – and that in the already endangered rainforest. When shopping, you shouldn’t always just grab Brazil nuts, but also try out local nut varieties?

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Healthy, But: the Dark Side of Nuts

Nuts are considered a healthy source of energy. However, cultivation, harvesting, processing and transport are often at the expense of people and the environment. We show where the problems lie – and what you can watch out for.

Good for the heart and circulation, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants: Nuts enjoy a very good nutritional reputation despite their high fat content. The Federal Center for Nutrition recommends a handful of nuts per day. In this article, you’ll learn which nuts should end up in your “handful a day” and which ones you should be careful with for environmental and social reasons.

Nuts: the crux with the indication of origin

You can usually assess the sustainability of food in a first step based on its label of origin. For example, anyone with a little common sense can figure out that strawberries from overseas sold in Germany in December don’t do too well in terms of life cycle assessment. And it is not too surprising that human rights violations may have been violated in the cultivation and harvesting of particularly cheap exotic fruits from the Global South.

Unfortunately, when it comes to nuts, it is often not clear where they come from, because German food law requires that the country of origin only has to be declared on the packaging for unpeeled almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. Therefore: If you cannot find any information on the packaging about where the nuts come from, it is not entirely unlikely that you are supporting unsustainable and exploitative cultivation and processing structures with your purchase. On organic nuts, you can still tell from the country code under the organic seal where the nuts come from, or whether they come from the EU or not.

Organic nuts are better than conventional ones

When growing organic nuts, the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides and fertilizers is not permitted, which improves occupational safety and protects the environment. There are other important differences between organic and conventional nuts when it comes to processing: Since nuts are very susceptible to pests such as beetles or moths, they are usually “deveined” before storage. With organic nuts, this is done using pressure and carbon dioxide, while with conventional nuts, methyl bromide can be used, which is not only highly toxic but also damages the ozone layer. In addition, unlike conventional nuts, organic nuts must not be bleached with sulfur in order to obtain an even colour.

Almonds: popular nut with enormous water consumption

Whether as marzipan, almond butter, “almond milk” or a snack for in between: Only peanuts are more popular than almonds. In 2018, the global annual harvest was almost 1.3 million tons, and further increases in yield to around 1.7 million tons are expected for 2020/2021. Almond cultivation uses a lot of water: up to 15,000 liters are needed for one kilo.

In California in particular, where 80% of the world’s almonds come from, this is exacerbating the already critical water shortage. In addition, large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides are applied to the plantations, which are set up in monocultures. The same applies to Spain, the second most important almond producer after the USA. Although some organic farms improve the water storage capacity of the soil by increasing soil fertility, irrigation is also used in the organic sector.

In addition, in the USA, bee colonies are transported across the country to pollinate the almond orchards – and many of them do not survive. The bottom line is that the uncomfortable recommendation on the subject of almonds is unfortunately as follows: better avoid them – or at least reduce consumption very much.

The same applies to pistachios for the same reasons (water scarcity, pesticides and fertilizers), of which almost 40% of the world supply also comes from the USA and 30% from Iran.

Cashews: absurd transport routes and toxic shell oils

Cashew trees are much easier to care for than almonds: Since they also grow on nutrient-poor, degraded soils, are rather undemanding and form a very pronounced root system, they need significantly less water and can make an important contribution to protection against erosion. Originally from Brazil, cashews are now mainly grown in Africa and Asia.

However, almost all African cashews take an almost absurd detour before they end up in our shops. Because their processing – roasting, steaming, cracking, sorting and skinning – takes place almost exclusively in India and Vietnam, which significantly worsens their climate balance. The protection of the workers is particularly important during processing, as cashew shells contain a toxic oil that can cause severe chemical burns.

Therefore, when buying cashews, make sure that you have at least one fair trade certification, which prescribes health protection measures in cashew production. We recommend, for example, the cashews from Rapunzel – the company provides comprehensive information on its website about the many years of cooperation with its Indian “Hand in Hand” partner.

Peanuts: Apart from long transport routes, they are usually not a bad choice

More than half of the approximately 47 million tons of peanuts grown annually worldwide come from China (40%) and India (15%). Strictly speaking, however, the popular snack is not nuts, but pulses or legumes, which – just like peas or beans – are able to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil and thus increase soil fertility. This makes sense above all if plants that require nitrogen, such as cotton or corn, were previously grown in the fields and peanuts are used as part of a crop rotation.

Provided they are not additionally treated with chemical pesticides, as prescribed in organic cultivation, peanuts, which also require little water, are not a bad choice from an ecological point of view. Depending on the country of origin, however, you should choose fair trade goods.

Wild collection of Brazil nuts is hard work

Brazil nut trees grow wild in the rainforests of Brazil, Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Peru. They are not cultivated, so no pesticides or fertilizers are used in their cultivation. While wild collection has a positive impact on the environmental footprint of the nuts, it is all the more arduous for those who struggle with machetes through the dense jungle to collect the nuts, of which 12-24 are hidden in coconut-like shells . The purchase of Brazil nuts should therefore always be worth a fair trade premium – such as with the Brazil nuts from Fairfood.

Beware of Turkish hazelnuts

Over 70% of the world’s hazelnuts are grown in Turkey. In Europe, only Italy is a noteworthy cultivation country for the popular nuts, with 9% of the global amount. Hazelnuts require comparatively little water and are easy to grow. But: The Turkish hazelnuts come from more than 400,000 family-run hazelnut plantations along the Black Sea coast, where the manual harvest still involves children and underpaid seasonal workers under questionable working conditions.

In Italy, harvesting is done mechanically, but in many places the mostly chemical-intensive monocultures have once replaced the biodiverse cultural landscape. The organic seal is therefore particularly important for Italian hazelnuts, and for hazelnuts from Turkey you should use fair trade products, e.g. B. from the company Gepa, prefer. By the way: Hazelnuts also grow here in Germany.

Prefer European walnuts to overseas pecans

Walnuts rank third in global production volumes after almonds and peanuts. The pecan nuts, which are also becoming increasingly popular with us, belong to the same family, but come almost exclusively from the USA or Mexico, from where they travel long distances to Germany. Walnuts, on the other hand, have a slightly tart taste and are also grown on a large scale in the USA and China, but they also grow here in Germany and in our neighboring countries, especially in France. European walnuts are therefore always the better choice.

Conclusion

As with all foods, you should also pay attention to regional and organic quality when it comes to nuts. In organic cultivation, the use of toxic chemicals is avoided not only in agriculture but also in processing.
Hazelnuts and walnuts also grow here in Germany, even if the European quantities play little or no role on the world market. Ask your family and friends or look at websites like mundraub.org to see if and where nuts grow in your area that probably nobody else is harvesting.
If you don’t want to do without more exotic nuts, pay attention to the origin of the product as well as organic and fair trade seals – if recognizable – and invest a little more for fair cultivation and trading conditions, especially for nuts from emerging and developing countries.
You should largely eliminate almonds from your diet due to their very high water requirement, and you should only buy cashews from companies that guarantee the protection of workers in processing.

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Cooking Tips

Roasting Pine Nuts: Easy Step-By-Step Instructions

Pine nuts are a popular salad topping and a popular ingredient in pesto and co. Pine nuts become particularly aromatic when you roast them. We’ll show you how it works.

Pine nuts have a very special aroma that gives many dishes a unique touch. Cultivation and harvesting are mostly done by hand. Pine nuts from the European Mediterranean region are often more expensive than products imported from China or Korea.

For the sake of the environment, we still recommend pine nuts from the European Mediterranean region, for example from Spain, Portugal or Turkey. These have a much shorter transport route behind them and often taste more intense. You can recognize pine nuts from Europe by their drop-like shape. Kernels from Asia, on the other hand, are elongated and narrow.

You can toast pine nuts in a pan or in the oven. Here you can find out how it works very easily.

Roasting pine nuts: This is how it works in the pan

Put the pine nuts in a pan without adding fat. Distribute the cores so that they are not on top of each other.
Set the stove to medium-high and turn the pine nuts several times to avoid burning them.
As soon as the pine nuts are slightly brown and smell pleasant, you can remove them from the pan.

How to roast pine nuts in the oven

Scatter the pine nuts on a grease-free baking sheet.
Set the oven to 160 degrees and put in the pine nuts.
After 10 to 15 minutes, you can take out the seeds.
Let the pine nuts cool on the baking sheet.
Roasted pine nuts are a delicious topping for salads and go well with pasta sauce and pesto. Couscous salad and various vegetable dishes are also rounded off with the delicious aroma of pine nuts.

Pine nuts not only taste delicious, but also have a lot of important vitamins and minerals. In addition to vitamin B1 and vitamin B2, they contain large amounts of iron and magnesium. They are also rich in phosphorus and the trace element zinc.

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Drying Walnuts: This is How The Nuts From The Garden Become Edible

Walnuts from the garden must first be dried before they can be eaten. Find out here how best to dry the delicious nuts and what you should bear in mind when doing so.

Why dry fresh walnuts first?

During the walnut harvest, the nuts are not picked from the tree, but picked up from the ground. Ripe walnuts usually fall from the tree by themselves between September and the end of October. You should then collect them quickly: If soil moisture penetrates through the wooden nutshell, mold will form after a short time.

The walnut harvest can extend over a longer period of time because the nuts do not all fall off at the same time. It is best to check the ground under the walnut tree every day for freshly fallen, ripe nuts that you can pick up.

A walnut tree can easily bear up to 130 kg of fruit. If you want to store a large amount of walnuts, be sure to dry them first. This is the only way to prevent your harvest from spoiling.

Drying walnuts: This is how you prepare the nuts

After harvesting, you should prepare walnuts as follows:

Clean: The wooden walnut shell may still be surrounded by the soft outer shell. Remove these thoroughly and completely with a brush, otherwise mold can form. It is best to wear gloves when working: this way you avoid the peel discolouring the skin on your fingers and hand.
Never wash the walnuts with water, as moisture can spoil them quickly.
Sort: Dry only pristine and ripe walnuts. If they have black spots or appear shriveled, this indicates mold or parasites. These walnuts absolutely must be sorted out.

How to properly dry walnuts

After these steps, you can dry the walnuts. Pay attention to:
The right temperature: It is best to dry the nuts in a room in the house that is around 20 °C. Suitable are, for example, an insulated attic, the boiler room or the house entrance. But make sure that the room is not too warm.
The Right Place: Dry the walnuts in fruit crates lined with newspaper. Wooden frames over which grids are stretched are also very suitable.
Enough space: The most important rule when drying: Only place the walnuts in a single layer in the fruit box or on the grid and leave enough space between the individual nuts. Make sure they don’t touch. The air must be able to circulate around the nuts so that they dry evenly and do not form mold.
Sufficient time: The walnuts need about 4 to 6 weeks to dry completely. Turn them every few days so they dry evenly. Finally, check if the nuts are dry: open one or two and take a good look at their kernels. If it’s not brittle, but rather rubbery, the nut isn’t dry enough.
Once the walnuts have dried, you can store them. Fill them in a basket or in a potato sack and keep them in the pantry. There they stay fresh for up to 12 months.

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Pine Nuts: Ingredients and Special Features of The Precious Nuts

Pine nuts are considered very healthy and are an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine. Here you can find out where the seeds come from and what makes them so special.

Pine nuts are a diverse source of nutrients

The delicious pine nuts have a nut-like aroma and provide us with all kinds of important and healthy nutrients.

Among other things, they contain large amounts of the trace element selenium. This substance supports our immune system and protects our body from so-called “free radicals”.

Almost half of the soft kernels consist of fats – but these are exclusively polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unlike saturated fat, they help lower cholesterol levels to healthy levels.

The fats are also responsible for the kernels spoiling faster. They go rancid and change their taste. But the same applies here: Don’t let the best-before date fool you. Just make sure that you keep the seeds tightly sealed in a cool, dry place and eat them quickly. Your senses of taste and smell will help you tell if the seeds have gone bad.

Origin of the pine nuts

As the name suggests, the kernels are extracted from the pine tree. This conifer is widespread in the Mediterranean region, including France, Italy and Turkey. The kernels grow in the cones and are obtained in a complex process. The pines are not cultivated on a large scale, but grow wild. Mostly on uneven ground, so access is difficult. The trees grow up to thirty meters high and only after about twenty years do they bear cones with pine nuts. The kernels then mature in the cones for about three years. They can be harvested from October.

This is done by hand: so-called pineros climb the trees to knock off the cones. They are dried over the winter before the pods can be removed the following year. This is where the valuable pine nuts are located.

Because of the complex process, pine nuts are of course not cheap. There is also an Asian variant of a related tree, the Korean pine, which is often significantly cheaper. However, not only the environmental aspect speaks against them due to the long transport routes. Taste impairments have often been found to occur after consumption and leave a metallic taste for a long time.

So if you want to refine your diet with pine nuts, be sure to pay attention to the origin of the nuts. So you can be sure that you avoid long transport routes and receive safe food.

Pine nuts refine pesto and salads

You can eat the delicious pine nuts with almost anything. In Mediterranean cuisine, for example, you can find them roasted in salads or soups, in vegetable pans or with pasta dishes. They taste particularly good in classic pesto. You can already achieve a big effect with small amounts of the seeds and prepare a great meal.

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Macadamia: The Healthy But Unsustainable Queen of Nuts

Macadamia is one of the most expensive nuts in the world. But it is also particularly tasty and healthy. However, the macadamia is not sustainable: In order to get to us, it has to travel long distances.

Compared to other nuts, macadamia nuts have a unique taste: they are very mild, sweet and downright buttery. No wonder, because with 76 grams of fat per 100 grams, they are among the most fatty nuts.

The macadamia originally comes from the Australian rainforests and was already harvested by the Aborigines. In the 19th century, a German and an Australian botanist discovered the nut and named it after the scientist John Macadam. Macadamia trees are no longer only grown in Australia, but in many tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The cultivation areas include, for example, South Africa, Kenya, Hawaii, Brazil and New Zealand.

Macadamia bears the title “Queen of Nuts” because it is one of the most expensive nuts in the world. This is because the cultivation and further processing are complicated: the macadamia trees are demanding and only grow very slowly. In addition, macadamia nuts have a very hard shell that cannot be cracked with conventional nutcrackers. Therefore they are usually cracked with machines after they have been dried and are sold peeled.

Macadamia Nuts: What Makes Them So Healthy?

The macadamia is not only one of the most expensive, but also one of the healthiest nuts. The ingredients (per 100 grams) show why this is the case:

The 76 grams of fat are mostly mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a positive effect on LDL cholesterol levels and can thereby reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Above all, the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids is very high at over 50 grams. According to a study, they should reduce insulin resistance in diabetic patients (PDF).
With around nine grams of fiber, macadamia nuts are one of the most high-fiber types of nuts.
Macadamia contains many vitamins and minerals. These include B vitamins, vitamin E and the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and potassium. The selenium content in particular is relatively high. The trace element selenium is involved in many processes in our body, among other things it is very important for the thyroid gland.
Despite the many healthy ingredients, you should only eat macadamia nuts in moderation. With around 700 kilocalories per 100 grams, they are quite high in calories. However, a small handful of nuts is a healthy snack between meals.

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Pecan Nuts: Origin, Uses and Nutritional Values

Pecans are part of many traditional dishes in the United States. They are also becoming better known in Europe. Here you can find out all the important facts about the popular nut.

Origin of the pecan nut

The pecan nut belongs to the walnut family and grows on the pecan nut tree, which is originally native to North America. The harvest time of the nut extends from October to December. Today, pecan trees are also grown in other countries, such as Australia, Brazil, China and South Africa.

Pecans: what’s in them?

With around 700 kilocalories per 100 grams, pecans are among the most calorie-dense nuts and should therefore be consumed in moderation. But they convince with a high content of various minerals, such as zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Like all nuts, they are also rich in B vitamins and consist of almost ten percent fiber.

Pecan nuts contain about 70 to 75 grams of fat per 100 grams. However, this is not a cause for concern since the nuts are mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids

Pecans: tips for use

Pecans taste like walnuts, but are much milder. You can simply enjoy them as a snack or sprinkle them over your muesli or yoghurt. In the US, they are also used in many different typical baked goods, such as cinnamon rolls

The nuts are also well suited as a topping for desserts and ice cream. You can also use them for hearty dishes, such as salads, casseroles or to prepare a vegan burger patty.

Recipe: Classic Pecan Pie

You need:
240g flour
220g cold butter
55g sugar
1 pinch of salt
120ml sugar beet syrup
3 tbsp honey
10 tbsp whole cane sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g pecan halves
That’s how it’s done:
Cut 170 grams of the cold butter into small cubes and place them in a bowl with the flour, sugar and salt and mix with the hand mixer to form a crumbly dough.
Gradually add some water until the dough becomes a little sticky. However, be careful with the water, otherwise the dough will be too runny. 40 to 80 milliliters are usually sufficient.
Form the dough into a ball and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Then roll it out on a work surface into a circle about 28 centimeters in diameter.
Then carefully place it in a 9-inch baking dish or tart pan and let it rest in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Put the remaining butter in a saucepan with the syrup, honey and whole cane sugar and heat the mixture while stirring. When the sugar is completely dissolved, take the pot off the stove and let the mixture cool.
Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract and carefully fold the mixture into the cooled sugar mixture.
Arrange the pecans decoratively on the tart pan and then pour the egg and sugar mixture over it.
The tart goes into the oven at 165°C for 45 to 60 minutes.

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Nuts: The Individual Varieties Are so Healthy

It has long been proven that nuts are healthy. But which types of nuts are particularly good? Here you can find out which nutrients are in walnuts, cashew nuts, pistachios & Co and what makes them special.

Why nuts are healthy

Depending on the variety, nuts consist mainly of fat and protein and often only to a small extent of carbohydrates and water. This makes nuts a very healthy, high-energy snack. They provide you with many monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that have a positive effect on your cardiovascular system. At the same time, they are essential for a healthy nervous system and a stable hormone balance.

Nuts also contain fiber, which has a positive effect on digestion and makes you feel full faster and for longer. The little power packs are also impressive when it comes to vitamins and minerals: Most nuts contain many B vitamins, vitamin E as well as magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus.

Even if nuts have a relatively high calorie density, you should include them in moderation in your diet every day if possible. Because they provide you with important fatty acids, protein and various micronutrients.

Walnuts: a healthy source of omega-3 from the region

Walnuts are considered one of the healthiest types of nuts, as no other nut can have such a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids. They also provide you with a considerable amount of potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E.

Another advantage of walnuts is that they are also grown in large quantities in Germany. Here they are in season between September and December. However, since the market for nuts is largely based on imports, most walnuts also come from other countries. The main export country is the USA.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 42-62 g fat, 11-16 g protein, 15-23 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: USA, Chile, France, India, Moldova

Peanuts: Legumes from the USA

Even if it is one of the best-known types of nuts, the peanut is actually not a nut at all, but is one of the legumes. However, since its nutritional values ​​are very similar to other types of nuts, it is usually counted among the nuts.

Peanuts are considered healthy: they are among the plant foods richest in magnesium. They also contain significant amounts of iron and zinc.

Peanuts are not grown in Germany and therefore have to travel long distances to be transported. They mainly come from the USA, South America and some African countries.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 50 g fat, 23-25 ​​g protein, 21 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Senegal, USA

Brazil nuts: healthy selenium suppliers

With a fat content of 60 to 70 percent, Brazil nuts are among the nuts with the highest fat content. Nevertheless, the nuts are healthy: They provide you with unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the Brazil nut is particularly well-known for containing large amounts of the trace element selenium. A medium-sized nut covers your entire daily requirement.

In addition, Brazil nuts provide you with a large amount of magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin E. But even if they are healthy, you should not eat too many Brazil nuts. Compared to other foods, they have a relatively high radium content. According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, however, a daily intake of two Brazil nuts is harmless.

From an ecological point of view, Brazil nuts are unfortunately not recommended because they are only imported from tropical areas and therefore have to cover long transport routes.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 66 g fat, 14 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: tropical areas in South and Central America

Cashew nuts: healthy nuts with a problematic background

Cashew kernels are not actually nuts either, but are the kernels of the cashew apples. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contain less fat and more carbohydrates than other nuts.

In addition, cashews score with a high content of B vitamins, vitamin K, as well as magnesium, copper, iron, phosphorus and potassium. They also provide you with a substantial amount of tryptophan. This is an amino acid that the body needs to produce the “happiness hormone” serotonin.

Cashew nuts are also exclusively imported and do not grow in Germany. They are mainly grown in Asian and African countries. Due to the long transport routes, they have a very poor ecological balance. In addition, the workers in the cultivation areas often suffer from inhumane working conditions. It is therefore advisable to only eat cashew nuts in moderation and to pay attention to Fairtrade certification when buying them.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 42 g fat, 18 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: India, Nigeria, Vietnam, Ivory Coast

Macadamia: the healthy queen of nuts

Macadamia nuts are among the most expensive nuts in the world. The queen of nuts is also very healthy from a nutritional point of view: It is one of the nuts richest in fiber, contains B vitamins, vitamin E and considerable amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and potassium.

Macadamia nuts are mostly grown in Oceania, African and South and Central American countries. Therefore, these nuts are also problematic from an ecological point of view. You should also use fair trade goods here.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 69 g fat, 6 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Guatemala, California, etc.

Coconuts: Popular fruits from the tropics

The flesh of the coconut is high in fiber, B vitamins, and the minerals potassium, calcium, sodium, copper, iron, and phosphorus. In contrast to other types of nuts, their fat content consists primarily of saturated fatty acids. If you eat too many of them, it can have negative consequences.

Even if many coconut products are very popular, the cultivation and the long transport route of the coconut is not sustainable. Due to increasing demand, the nuts are increasingly being grown in monocultures. Cultivation is also water-intensive and pesticides are often used to control pests.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 34 g fat, 4 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: tropical regions in Asia, Africa and South America

Pecan nuts: The newcomers from the USA

With 70 to 75 percent fat and 700 kilocalories per 100 grams, pecans are among the nut types with the most fat and calories. Nevertheless, the nuts are healthy: They provide you with lots of fiber, B vitamins and minerals such as zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium.

Pecans are mostly grown in North America, as well as Australia, Brazil, Chile and South Africa. They therefore cover long transport routes before they finally arrive in Germany.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 72 g fat, 9 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Chile, South Africa

Pistachios: Healthy nuts, but not very sustainable

Pistachios can keep up with their relatives and provide you with many important micronutrients such as potassium, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, phosphorus and magnesium.

However, if stored incorrectly, the healthy nuts can have a negative impact on your health. Because they are particularly susceptible to mold, which converts into the toxin aflatoxin. This happens when the nuts are not dry enough and are stored while still moist.

Today, pistachios are mainly grown in Iran, Turkey, the USA and China, i.e. they are also only imported from distant countries and therefore have a poor ecological balance.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 54 g fat, 18 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: Iran, Turkey, USA, China

Almonds: Healthy nuts with high water consumption

Almonds have become a real trend food in recent years and are processed into a wide variety of products such as almond butter, almond milk or almond flour. They are rightly considered healthy and nutritious, as they contain significant amounts of magnesium, calcium, copper, B vitamins and vitamin E.

Over 80 percent of the almonds grown worldwide are grown in the United States, particularly in California. This also means that the almond has a problematic ecological balance. Another big problem is the enormous water consumption when growing the popular nuts. One kilogram of almonds requires 10,000 liters of water, which leads to falling groundwater levels and periods of drought in the growing areas. Therefore, you should use the healthy nuts sparingly. When buying, you should also use almonds that were grown in Europe.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g: 55 g fat, 29 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates
Main growing areas: USA, Spain, Morocco, Iran, Turkey, Italy, Australia

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Soaking Nuts: How to Avoid Phytic Acid?

Soak nuts before eating them? We have summarized for you what phytic acid is all about and in which cases soaking can make sense at all.

Soaking nuts before eating is said to increase their nutritional value and make them more digestible. Certain ingredients, including phytic acid, are said to be reduced as a result. Whether this actually makes sense for nuts is a matter of debate.

Soaking nuts: the theory behind it

Nuts are healthy – they contain valuable fatty acids, high-quality protein, some B vitamins, vitamin E as well as minerals and trace elements. In addition, they score with secondary plant substances such as phenolic acids or phytosterols, which bring additional health benefits.

But nuts also contain phytic acid. Nuts store phosphate with the help of this self-made substance. However, some judge this storage substance critically, because it binds minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium. This prevents them from being absorbed into the body. A lot of the nutrients the nut has in its luggage remains unused due to its phytic acid content.

The problem with phytic acid is also known from legumes and whole grains. However, according to the UGB associations for independent health advice, there are solutions to be able to savor their nutrients: Soaking for several hours successfully reduces the phytic acid content in beans, wheat and co. In addition, fermentation processes can minimize the content of phytin. Soaking is also said to help nuts to activate enzymes. However, researchers disagree on whether nuts should be soaked to make them more digestible and to facilitate nutrient absorption.

Nuts are different than grains or legumes

Research from New Zealand has shown that nuts don’t give up their phytin as easily as thought. Only a minimal portion came loose from the test specimens after soaking for several hours. However, the mineral content also decreased at the same time. The conclusion of the investigation: Soaking nuts does not result in any significant advantages in terms of the absorption of minerals and trace elements.

Nuts differ in their composition from legumes and grains. While beans, lentils and the like are packed with a lot of protein, complex carbohydrates come first in cereals. In nuts, on the other hand, the fat content predominates. It is possible that these differences also prevent the release of phytin.

Lower phytic acid in nuts: Here’s how

If you just want to try soaking nuts, you should adapt the soaking time to the nut in question:

8 hours: hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans
6 hours: walnuts, brazil nuts, cashew nuts
4 hours: Macadamia
And this is how it works: Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of salt over three cups of nuts, pour enough water over them to cover the top nuts by a centimeter and place in a cool place.

After soaking, the water is poured away. You can now use the nuts directly. They are softer than before soaking and also without any bitter note. If you want to store them, they need to be dried so they don’t get moldy. You can do this at low temperatures in the oven (max. 50 degrees Celsius) in a way that protects the nutritional value or in a dehydrator for a few hours from around 30 degrees – the latter solution is also more environmentally friendly.

Lowering phytic acid – useful or not?

While phytic acid and its salts, the phytates, were long decried as mineral robbers, the view has now changed. According to UGB, the phosphorus-rich storage substance is now even attributed positive health properties:

It is now considered certain that phytic acid helps to positively influence blood glucose levels.
At the same time, research is being carried out into whether phytic acid can be used in diabetics to lower cholesterol levels.
There is also evidence that phytic acid has a positive effect on the immune system and could prevent various types of cancer.

Conclusion: Soaking nuts only brings benefits in a few cases

The scientific evidence on soaking and soaking nuts and reducing phytic acid is sparse. Individual findings speak in favor of this, while others refute the effectiveness of this complex procedure.
Nutritionists see no disadvantage in consuming nuts in moderate amounts (a handful daily) in a mixed, varied diet without an additional soaking procedure – especially since the supply of phytic acid also promises health benefits.
At best, people who eat more foods rich in phytic acid – for example raw foodists or vegans – could benefit from “nut bathing”.

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