Pine nuts

Pine nuts are the real well of nutrients. The name is generalized and is used for designation of several species of seeds from a pine sort which still are called cedar pines and give edible seeds. In scientific sense they are not nuts, but such name rather strongly was assigned to them in cookery.

Structure of pine nuts

According to researches, only 43% of the lump of a nutlet the kernel weighs. As a part of kernels of pine nuts the maximum quantity of useful microelements, vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates contains. 63,9% of a kernel consist of high-quality oil, and here 17,2% are the digestible proteins containing about 19 amino acids from which 70% are conditionally irreplaceable in the structure.

As a part of a shell of pine nut which makes more than a half (55-60%) of the lump of seeds amino acids, tannins, microelements and sugar contain. On chemical composition the shell is the real source of fats, proteins, pitches, celluloses, ashes, micro and macrocells, pentosans.

Useful properties of pine nut

Curative and nutritious properties of these nutlets can be explained in many respects with rather qualitative part which is the mass of proteins, fats and a set of other useful substances. Fat of pine nuts differs from numerous other fats in the fact that contains many polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular linoleic.

From various nitrogenous substances as a part of nut the proteins which are characterized by the high content of amino acids prevail, and arginine is prevailing among them. This amino acid is especially important for the growing organism and its development therefore nuts have to be an obligatory element of a diet of pregnant women, teenagers and children. Besides, proteins of pine nuts digestible.

Such nutlets are valuable carriers of lipolytic vitamins P and E. Group E vitamins (their second name – tokoferola) are incredibly important for ensuring good and full-fledged heredity – still value "I bear posterity" is hidden in the Greek word "tocopherol" designating the second name of this group of vitamins. Provided that in an organism there is no enough this vitamin, the fatty balance can be broken. The vitamin E received from pine nuts is responsible for formation of milk at nursing mothers therefore at absence or even a lack of this vitamin the lactation can stop. Tendency to atherosclerosis also in many respects is explained by a lack of vitamin E.

The advantage of pine nuts consists also in the maintenance of a complex of vitamins of group B in them which normalize work of a nervous system, and also considerably improve composition of blood, well influence development of an organism. Nutlets are irreplaceable means against V-avitaminosis.

Kernels of pine nuts are rich with various valuable microelements and mineral substances. Chemical composition of nutlets confirms also their nutrition value. So, for example, pine nuts considerably surpass all other nuts in the content of fosfatidny phosphorus, they are also a rich source of iodine.

Pine nuts contain such quantity of various microelements and amino acids which is enough for satisfaction of daily need for cobalt, zinc, manganese and copper. Comprehensibility of nutlets is rather high therefore for an organism their advantage is incredibly high.

The advantage of pine nut is concluded also in its shell which in the crushed state rather widely is used as additive in forages of animals. In comparison with the mass of other forages this has average nutritiousness, but contains the mass of cellulose, thus increasing comprehensibility of a forage.

In the course of an extraction of oil of pine nut from a kernel by a method of cold pressing there is a special cedar cake, it is rich with various microelements, biologically active agents, vitamins of group B, C, E and A, proteins, unsaturated fatty acids. Besides, cake does not contain cholesterol. It is a fine dietary product which use normalizes a metabolism, keeps working capacity and supports health for many years.

Addition of pine nut, oil from it or cake in various desserts (whether it be cakes, cakes or ice cream), vegetable and fruit salads allows to impact to a dish an incomparable delicate taste.

Except medicine, oil of pine nut is used also in the technical industries, for example, for production of the highest quality of optics.

Use of pine nuts in traditional medicine

Always very widely and willingly nuts were applied in traditional medicine at treatment of the most various diseases. For example, for the Siberian population nuts were and is the most effective remedy of treatment of deposits of salts in joints. Kernels of pine nuts were a basis of spirit tinctures which accepted within a month on several drops for treatment of many diseases.

Properties of pine nuts allow to use their cake and a peel for preparation of effective cleaning bathtubs. Such bathroom (in addition add to it also bran) makes the most favorable impact on skin and is recommended at eczemas, diathesis, pustulous and other diseases of skin.

Tincture of pine nuts is everywhere applied at treatment of gout, rheumatism, avitaminosis, disbolism. As a shell of nuts – incredibly rich source of tannins, from it the broths and tinctures used for treatment of inflammations of mucous membranes and skin diseases prepare. Properties of pine nuts allow to use also them and at treatment of diseases of digestive tract.

Tincture of kernels of pine nuts is accepted as the means capable to purify blood. And here at a peptic ulcer it is useful to use the crushed kernels of nuts. In traditional medicine it is considered that at the most various diseases of skin, furuncles eczemas and even cancer, the regular use of pine nuts can lead to recovery.

The advantage of pine nuts cannot be revaluated both for children, and for teenagers in whose diet they have to be obligatory as they well influence intellectual and physical development.

Harm of pine nuts

People with tendency to an allergy are not recommended to use nuts as it can lead to an allergic attack. Serious violations of flavoring feelings are promoted also by the use of low-quality pine nuts. However, such disturbance can take place for several days and without medical care.