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Nuts Are Unhealthy: Do Not Eat These Nuts…

By Jayton Miller

Nuts_Unhealthy

If you’re concerned about consuming endocrine disrupting substances, rancid toxins, and mineral chelators that cause micronutrient deficiencies, then you may want to take nuts out of your diet. 

Nuts contain compounds that suppress reproductive hormone production, and they contain large amounts of the notorious mineral chelator phytic acid, as well as other anti nutrients. The nutritional value of eating certain nuts is next to none, since the metabolize ability has been vastly overestimated. 

Contents:

First off, if you are not familiar with our definition of what true health is then make sure to check out our other articles on oats, vegetables, and other endocrine disrupting foods. Under this definition, Nuts are considered a food to avoid.

If you want to learn more about my nutritional recommendations and an exact plan for how you should eat to optimize your hormones and correct micronutrient deficiencies so you have a massive increase in energy, improved metabolism, deep sleep, amazing libido, and a lean and muscular body then make sure to check out The Thermo Diet only inside of UMZUfit!

 

Thermo Diet

 

Why Nuts Are Touted as “Healthy”:

Why nuts are said to be healthy

If you think about this from an evolutionary perspective, plants are on a mission to reproduce and continue the propagation of their species, just like animals. Nuts and seeds are the babies of plants, and need to be protected in order to live and create the next generation. The plants are going to take precautions to protect their babies (nuts and seeds) by creating a shell around them and by putting defense compounds in them in order to give them as much of a fighting chance to survive as possible.

Most nuts are seen as healthy because they contain some protein, fats, and minerals. As we will soon see this is not really the case as most of these nutrients are either: 

  1. Not available for the human body to absorb (bioavailability)
  2. Detrimental to our health (producing inflammation or nutrient deficiencies)

Nuts Are Hard To Digest:

Nuts Difficult to Digest

The protein and minerals that are found inside nuts are not very bioavailable due to several factors. The human body lacks the ability to properly digest nuts and seeds because of the various antinutrients found within them. 

Phytic acid, oxalic acid, lectins, and tannins are all anti-nutrient compounds found within nuts and seeds. These anti-nutrients prevent the vitamins and minerals found within nuts and seeds to be largely unavailable to the human body as these compounds with hold on to the nutrients (and even grab on to more) as they pass through the digestive tract. 

But wait, there’s more…

Nuts and seeds also contain trypsin inhibitors that limit the amount of protein and fat soluble vitamins that can be utilized from nuts and seeds as well. This results in almost no nutrients being taken up from nuts or seeds except for the fats that are found within them. 

Nuts Contain Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids:

Nuts Omega-6s

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are forms of polyunsaturated fats. There is an idea that omega-6 is a good type of fat. This is not true. Polyunsaturated fat lowers testosterone levels and increases oxidative damage in the body. We have covered the detriments of these types of fat in depth in various articles on the UMZU blog. For more information on how these fats harm the human body check out these articles

Nuts Spike SHBG Levels:

nuts spike shbg

From a hormonal health perspective, indulging in nuts is not a wise move. Nuts are known to increase sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) by 10-20 percent. This was verified in a 2010 study published under the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

SHBG is a glycoprotein produced by the liver.SHBG binds to free testosterone, rendering it inactive. This decreases the overall level of usable testosterone in the body. High SHBG levels have also been linked to low libido, erectile dysfunction, and infertility. When testosterone levels are low, muscle growth grinds to a halt; post-workout recovery also takes a hit.

Beyond inhibiting testosterone, too much SHBG is also known to reduce bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Nuts Contain Phytosterols:

Phytosterols in Nuts

 

This is another one of those “good in moderation” nutrients that hurt your gains if consumed in excess. Phytosterols are known for lowering cholesterol levels by competing for the same enzymes that cholesterol relies on for absorption. Lowering cholesterol is good, right? Well, yes, but cholesterol is also what your body uses to make testosterone so lowering cholesterol too much can sucker punch your protective hormone levels. 

Keeping cholesterol at a healthy level (which is a controversial level for many people) is going to allow you to have enough of the raw material needed to properly produce protective hormones for your body. 

Read More: Cholesterol Collusion

Ditch the Nuts?:

peanut butter

If you are a nut lover I am sorry, if you are going to optimize your endocrine health then taking nuts out of your diet (at least for the most part) is going to make a massive positive impact on your health. If you do decide to eat nuts on occasion, then looking for nuts with higher monounsaturated fat content is going to be best. Some nuts that have high monounsaturated fat content include:

  • Macadamia nuts
  • Hazelnuts
  • Cashews

Conclusion:

Overall, nuts are not a health food as they have been massively believed to be by the general public and mainstream nutrition world. If you are looking to optimize protective hormones, alleviate inflammation, and maximize your digestion then taking nuts and seeds out of your diet is going to make a massive impact for the better. 

Till next time, stay healthy.... 

Anti-Nutrient Content

Phytic Acid Content

PUFA Content

  • http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-012047000000000000000.html?maxCount=77 (Table with PuFA content per 200 cal serving.)
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17156083 ( This study supports that the higher the PUFA intake the lower the the MLSP or the Maximum lifespan for mammals was saying “MLSP indeed decreases as the ratio of n-3 to n-6 PUFAs increases.”)
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9150251 ( This study showed that the polyunsaturates exposed to neural tissue of embryonic chicks during various stages of development could impair neural development. They also stated that glucagon naturally suppressed mobilisation within the fetus. Stating “For example, at day 18 of development, the proportions (% w/w of fatty acids) of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 released into the incubation medium were respectively 6.5 and 7.5 times higher than in the original tissue TAG. Glucagon stimulated the overall rate of mobilisation by approx. 2-fold and also partially suppressed the preferential mobilisation of C20-22 polyunsaturates.”)
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2230805/ ( This study showed that the consumption of PUFA (arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid) in a dose denpendent manner increased the vascular permeability of the vascular system within the brain in rats by the increase of free radical damage caused by the breakdown of the fatty acids. This study had some good tables that showed their data.)
  • http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/8960090 (This study states the prevalence of an increase omega 6 diet and its prevalence towards increasing hyperinsulinemia and Insulin resistance. It also refers to the increased prevalence of free radicals with the increased PUFA consumption.)
  • https://www.jci.org/articles/view/19197#top (This study showed a direct link between polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduced function of the exportation of fats out of the liver from regulation opf hepatic aolipoprotein B degradation and VLDL production.)
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/ajg201144 (This was a huge study that showed the association of fat intake and the relevancy of IBS, Crohns, and Ulcerative Colitis. The study had over 4000 controls.)
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952327809000246 (This study showed that there might be an inverse correlation towards early memory in prebirth infants and early exposure the ePUFA.)
  • https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpcell.00335.2005 (This study shows how PUFA causes an efflux of calcium ions from the mitochondria inhibiting the function of the mitchondria.)
  • https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpregu.00753.2002 (This study showed the effect of PUFA exposure (as well as a derivative of PUFA) and alteration of steroidogenesis and an increase on gluccocorticoids from the adrenals.There was also a stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone)

Impact on hormones and health

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