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| | [[Image:Hazelnuts.jpg|thumb|[[Hazelnut]]s from the [[Common Hazel]]]] | | [[Image:Hazelnuts.jpg|thumb|[[Hazelnut]]s from the [[Common Hazel]]]] |
| | [[Image:Chestnut.jpg|thumb|[[Chestnut]]]] | | [[Image:Chestnut.jpg|thumb|[[Chestnut]]]] |
| − | A '''nut''' can be both a [[seed]] and a [[fruit]].
| + | An [[indehiscent]] 1-celled and 1-[[seed]]ed hard and bony [[fruit]], even if resulting from a compound ovary.{{SCH}} Common usage however expands what are considered nuts beyond true nuts. |
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| − | ==Botanical definitions== | + | ==True nuts== |
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| − | A '''nut''' in [[botany]] is a ''simple dry [[fruit]]'' with one [[seed]] (rarely two) in which the [[ovary (plants)|ovary]] wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains unattached or unfused with the ovary wall. Most nuts come from [[carpel|pistils]] with ''inferior'' ovaries (see [[flower]]) and all are ''indehiscent'' (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plants — families of the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Fagales]]. Note that not all true nuts are edible; some (e.g. [[birch]], [[alder]], [[hornbeam]], [[wingnut]]) are too small to be worth eating. Others, like the [[tanoak]] (''Lithocarpus densiflorus''), are [[basic taste|bitter]] due to [[tannin]]s and require extensive leaching before they are edible.
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| | ;Order Fagales | | ;Order Fagales |
| | *Family [[Juglandaceae]] | | *Family [[Juglandaceae]] |
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| | **[[Hornbeam]] | | **[[Hornbeam]] |
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| − | ==Culinary definition and uses== | + | ==Common use nuts== |
| − | A '''nut''' in [[cuisine]] is a much less restrictive category than a nut in botany, as the term is applied (or misapplied, depending upon the viewpoint) to many [[seed]]s that are not true nuts. Any large, oily [[seed|kernel]] found within a shell and used in [[food]] may be regarded as a nut. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a [[snack food]], or pressed for oil that is used in [[cookery]] and [[cosmetics]]. Nuts (or seeds generally) are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as [[jay]]s and [[squirrel]]s store [[acorn]]s and other nuts during the [[autumn]] to keep them from starving during the winter and early spring.
| + | These are often called or considered nuts, though they don't meet the strict botanical definition. |
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| | [[Image:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg|right|thumb|[[Korean Pine]] pine nuts — unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]] | | [[Image:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg|right|thumb|[[Korean Pine]] pine nuts — unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]] |
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| | *[[Pistachio]] nut is the seed of a thin-shelled drupe. | | *[[Pistachio]] nut is the seed of a thin-shelled drupe. |
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| − | ''See also:'' [[List of edible seeds]]
| + | ==See also== |
| − | | + | * [[List of edible seeds]] |
| − | ==Advocacy of nuts by John Harvey Kellogg==
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| − | In 1920, [[John Harvey Kellogg]], the medical director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium wrote an article entitled "Nuts May Save the Race" within his book ''The Itinerary of a Breakfast''. Kellogg's article promoted nuts as an ideal source of protein, particularly after the first world war and the shortage of meat sources throughout Europe and America. Kellogg explains that nuts were primarily considered to be a luxury in society, but should take the place of meat as a main source of protein in the American diet. The principle reason nuts were not prominent in the American diet is because of the idea that nuts were highly indigestible and that they were relatively expensive. However, within his article, Kellogg argues that there is no scientific proof of their indigestibility and that the price of nuts is comparable to the price of meat. (J.H. Kellogg, 1920, 173–176).
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| − | Kellogg presents the advantages of a nut diet, promoting their benefits to the American population. First he argues that unlike meat, nuts are free from waste products. Nuts are also free from bacteria that cause things to easily spoil, and they last for a long time. They are free from parasites, like tapeworm and trichnae, and do not pose a great threat to consumers. (Kellogg 175).
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| − | In a section of his article on nuts, Kellogg made a plea to the American population, writing "Something Must Be Done." He argued that the meat supply is rapidly diminishing, and that nuts could be the only "future sustenance of the race." He predicted, correctly, that nut growing was going to become one of the most important agricultural industries, and that nuts were truly one of the earth's finest bounties (Kellogg 200–203).
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| − | Kellogg's article and his promotion of a strictly vegetarian diet led to a new appreciation of nuts and nut butters as a perfect source of protein in an American diet.
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| − | ==Nut allergy==
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| − | [[Nut Allergy|Allergy to nuts]] is a relatively common and often very serious problem. For people with nut allergy, exposure to surprisingly small amounts of nut fragments (e.g. minor cross-contamination of otherwise nut-free products in a food processing factory) can cause fatal [[anaphylaxis|anaphylactic shock]].
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| − | Allergy to [[peanut]]s is the most common; some evidence suggests that some peanut allergies may be related to the use of peanuts in [[baby food]]s; if given to very young children who are not yet able to digest all the components of peanuts fully, the body will then react against those components. As the peanut is a member of the [[Fabaceae|pea family]] unrelated to other nuts, individuals with allergies to peanuts may not be allergic to other nuts, and those with allergies to other nuts may not be allergic to peanuts. A common term applied to nuts, used to distinguish peanuts from nuts, is "tree nuts".
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| − | ==Nutritional benefits==
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| − | :''See also'' [[Nutritional properties of nuts and oily seeds]]
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| − | [[Image:Mixed nuts bowl.jpg|left|thumb|Bowl of [[mixed nuts]]]]
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| − | Several [[epidemiological]] studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from [[coronary heart disease]]. Recent [[clinical trial]]s have found that consumption of various nuts such as [[almond]]s and [[walnut]]s can lower serum [[LDL]] cholesterol concentrations. Although nuts contain various substances thought to possess cardioprotective effects, scientists believe that their [[fatty acid]] profile is at least in part responsible for the hypolipidemic response observed in clinical trials.
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| − | In addition to possessing cardioprotective effects, nuts generally have a very low [[glycemic index]] (GI). Consequently, dietitians frequently recommend nuts be included in diets prescribed for patients with [[insulin resistance]] problems such as [[diabetes mellitus type 2]].
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| − | One study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who do not. However, this may be because people who eat nuts tend to eat less [[junk food]]. <ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/LivingLonger/story?id=2805247&page=1 "ABC News: The Places Where People Live Longest"]. ''URL acessed [[January 18]], [[2007]].''</ref>
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| − | ==Other uses==
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| − | The "nut" of the [[Aesculus|horse-chestnut]], (''Aesculus hippocastanum''), is also known as a '''[[conker]]'''. Conkers are inedible but are collected and used in an old children's game, also known as ''[[conker]]s'', in which a nut is threaded onto a strong cord and then each child attempts to break their opponent's conker by hitting it with their own. A related species, ''Aesculus californica'', was formerly eaten by the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] of [[California]] in times of famine. It must be leached to remove poisonous constituents before eating.
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references />
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| − | Kellogg, John H. "Nuts May Save the Race." The Itinerary of Breakfast. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1920. 165–203.
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | {{commonscat|Nuts}}
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| − | {{Cookbook|Nu
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| − | ts and Seeds}}
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| − | *[http://www.sankey.ws/crf/whatisanut.html Photos of some nuts] | |
| − | *[http://www.ncf.ca/~bf250/nutcracker.html Nut crackers]
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| − | *[http://nutra-smart.net/nuts Nutra-Smart.net] Health Benefits of Nuts
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| − | *[http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/nuts/index.html Linus Pauling Micronutrient Information Centre] Nuts
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| − | *[http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/70/3/504S?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=nuts&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT American Journal of Clinical Nutrition] Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk
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| − | [[Category:Botany]]
| + | {{glossary}} |
| − | [[Category:plant morphology]]
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| − | [[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
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