There is an issue with eating too many nuts. And it isn’t fat. But it is actually worse than that. The question becomes, is there enough evidence to support low consumption of nuts, over high consumption, to warrant a reduction? I tend to drive people toward nut and seed consumption, but the MYCO-TOXINS that exist in them, might be enough to alter that once you get up to a decent level of daily consumption.
My point is that if we move to the point where we are eating nuts as nut butter, using it as flour for breads, and snacking on mixed nuts throughout the day, you have now bypassed the rule of ancestral potential. Meaning, without machines, you could not keep up that kind of consumption. Just like you cannot eat cereal, crackers, pretzels and bread all in one day if you are milling grains without machine. The point, moderation is key in the area of food, even if healthy. Fruit, by the way, surely falls into this category.
Read this PUBMED article abstract, to get a quick glimpse of the concern over toxins.
J Food Prot. 2013 Aug;76(8):1414-20. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-13-005.
Monitoring and determination of fungi and mycotoxins in stored Brazil nuts.
Abstract
Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is an important commodity from the Brazilian Amazon, and approximately 37,000 tons (3.36 × 10⁷ kg) of Brazil nuts are harvested each year. However, substantial nut contamination by Aspergillus section Flavi occurs, with subsequent production of mycotoxins. In this context, the objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the presence of fungi and mycotoxins (aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid) in 110 stored samples of cultivated Brazil nut (55 samples of nuts and 55 samples of shells) collected monthly for 11 months in Itacoatiara, State of Amazonas, Brazil. The samples were inoculated in duplicate onto Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus agar and potato dextrose agar for the detection of fungi, and the presence of mycotoxins was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The most prevalent fungi in nuts and shells were Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., and Penicillium spp. A polyphasic approach was used for identification of Aspergillus species. Aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid were not detected in any of the samples analyzed. The low water activity of the substrate was a determinant factor for the presence of fungi and the absence of aflatoxin in Brazil nut samples. The high frequency of isolation of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi strains, mainly A. flavus, and their persistence during storage increase the chances of aflatoxin production on these substrates and indicates the need for good management practices to prevent mycotoxin contamination in Brazil nuts.
- PMID:
23905798
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
My takeaway from an article like this, is simply that I commonly overdo consumption, because I get trapped in the world of high fat and low carb. But I need to be consistent with my pursuit of health. This is the goal, health. Not low blood sugar… but health. My goal isn’t lean body mass, it is health. So don’t lose sight of the goal!
Be Well and Be Blessed! – Dr. E
2 thoughts on “I love my Almonds… but…”
So how do we soak and dehydrate them?
http://www.mommypotamus.com/how-to-soak-and-dehydrate-nuts-the-nourishing-traditions-way/
Comments are closed.