Pine Nuts are an Appetite Suppressant and also Reduce Cholesterol

Pine nuts are a high protein nut that come from pinecones that grow on pine trees. The pine family of trees produce both male and female pine cones, although nuts are only found in fertilized female cones. Harvesting of the nuts can be a fairly labor-intensive task since the cones need to be heated to help dislodge the nuts. This is why pine nuts are generally more expensive than other nuts.
There are well over a hundred varieties of pine, yet less then a handful produce seeds that are useful (many are too small). The main varieties of the pine nut are the Pinus pin, a Mediterranean stone pine, Pinus edulis, a pine that grows in southwest US and Pinus cembroides, a Mexican nut pine.

The seeds themselves although they fall under the same umbrella of pine nut, are also known as piñon, pignoli and pignolia. Chinese varieties are known for their strong flavor, while European types have higher levels of protein. Their size can vary from about 1 – 5cm in length, with over a hundred seeds coming from one cone.

Pine nuts have been used for culinary purposes around the world for centuries. In ancient Greece they were thought to possess aphrodisiac qualities and preserved in honey; and Hopi and Navajo tribes have been recorded as using them as source of protein. They either ate them dried or ground the nuts into a course powder then mixed the paste with water to make porridge.

Today, pine nuts can be found in many dishes, from classic Italian pesto to Turkish rice dishes. In North Africa, they are often used in sweets and in Tunisia their taste is used to enhance the flavor of mint tea.

Along with high protein and fat levels, pine nuts are also filled with amino acids, making them a great source of nutrition. More recently oil has been extracted from the pine nuts and used as both a dietary supplement for which can help suppress the appetite (and therefore used to combat weight-loss) and for its antioxidant action.

Health Benefits of Pine Nuts

Nutrients Pignoli (European pine nuts ) and pifiions (American) are an excellent source of vitamins Bl and B3, manganese, copper, magnesium, molybdenum. They are a very good source of zinc. They are a good source of vitamin B2, vitamin E, and potassium. Pifions are a better source of vitamin B1, and pignoli a better source of iron.

Weight Loss At the University of Liverpool the School of Psychology undertook a study to find out about the effects pine nuts have on appetite. Results showed that pine nuts contain two important chemicals, endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that once consumed, contribute to individuals feeling satiated – and not wanting to eat further. A further study in the Netherlands supports these findings, concluding that Korean pine nuts in particular, can work as ‘an appetite suppressant through an increasing effect on satiety hormones and a reduced prospective food intake’. (Korean pine nut seed oil)

Cholesterol Consumption of pine nut oil (and in some cases as much as 17g daily) has been shown to help reduce cholesterol. Further it can help combat hypertension by normalizing the lipid spectrum of blood. The Department of Agricultural Chemistry at the College of Life & Environmental Sciences at Korea University has undertaken considerable research to show that pine nut oil can help reduce cholesterol. Pine nut oil contains pinolenic acid, which affects the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Essentially, pinolenic acid stimulates hepatic LDL uptake, which in turn lowers cholesterol levels in the body.

Heart Health Pine nuts don’t just have high levels of monounsaturated fat and arginine, they also contain high levels of magnesium and potassium, and these four ingredients can assist in preventing heart disease.

Nutrient Values of Pine Nuts per 100g
Calories 673kcal	Energy Value 2816kj	Total Fat 68.37g	Carbohydrates 13.08g	Sugars 3.59g
Dietary Fiber 3.7g	Protein 13.69g	Sodium 2mg	Zinc 6.45mg	Potassium 597mg
Iron 5.53mg	Magnesium 251mg	Copper 1.324mg	Calcium 16mg	Vitamin C 0.8mg
Vitamin E 9.33mg	Vit. B3 (Niacin) 4.387mg	Vitamin B6 0.094mg	Vit. B1 (Thiamin) 0.364mg	Vit. B2 (Riboflavin) 0.227mg