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Nut (food)

Foods called nuts, which may be true nuts or seeds, drupes or legumes

Note

foods called nuts, which may not be called nuts in botany

A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts. In a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open to release the seed (indehiscent).

Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, but this is not the case in nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, which have hard shell walls and originate from a compound ovary. The general and original usage of the term is less restrictive, and many nuts (in the culinary sense), such as almonds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts, are not nuts in a botanical sense. Common usage of the term often refers to any hard-walled, edible kernel as a nut. Nuts are an energy-dense and nutrient-rich food source.

Definition

Botanically, a nut is a fruit with a woody pericarp developing from a syncarpous gynoecium. True nuts include, for example, chestnut, hazelnut and filbert. Culinarily, the term 'nut' is used much more widely, and includes examples of drupes (such as pecans and almonds) or seeds (such as pine nuts and peanuts).

Also widely known as nuts are dry drupes, which include pecans, almonds, macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) and the water caltrop (Trapa bicornis). A drupe is an indehiscent fruit that has an outer fleshy part consisting of the exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh, which surround a single pit or stone, the endocarp with a seed (kernel) inside. In a dry drupe, the outer parts dry up and the remaining husk is part of the ovary wall or pericarp, and the hard inner wall surrounding the seed represents the inner part of the pericarp.

Walnuts and hickories (Juglandaceae) have fruits that are difficult to classify. They are considered to be nuts under some definitions but are also referred to as drupaceous nuts.

In common use, a "tree nut" is, as the name implies, any nut coming from a tree. This most often comes up regarding food allergies; a person may be allergic specifically to peanuts (which are not tree nuts but legumes), whereas others may be allergic to the wider range of nuts that grow on trees.

Production

In the 21st century, about a dozen species constitute most of the worldwide production of nuts, shown in the table below for major commercial nuts.

Culinary nuts	Name	Image	Origin	Description	Production
Almond
(Prunus dulcis)	[[File:Almonds - in shell, shell cracked open, shelled, blanched.jpg	185px	center	alt=Almonds in shell, shell cracked open, shelled and blanched]]	Originated in Iran and the surrounding area.	The fruit is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell, the endocarp, containing a single seed. Almonds are sold shelled or unshelled. Blanched almonds are almonds with the shells removed that have been treated with hot water to soften the seed coat, which is then removed.	World production of unshelled almonds in 2019 was 3.5 million tonnes, and the largest producing countries were the United States, Spain, Iran, Turkey and Morocco.
Brazil nut
(Bertholletia excelsa)	[[File:Brazil nut DSC05477.JPG	185px	center	alt=Brazil nut fruit containing nuts]]	Native to tropical South America where the nuts are gathered from forest trees growing in the wild.	The nuts are hard-shelled seeds borne in a hard, woody capsule.	In 2019, global production of Brazil nuts was 78,000 tonnes, most of which were harvested from the Amazon rainforest of Brazil and Bolivia.
Cashew
(Anacardium occidentale)	[[File:Cahew nut fruit 01.jpg	185px	center	alt=Ripe cashew fruits]]	Originated in northeastern Brazil and widely grown in the tropics.	The fruit is a thick-shelled, seed-bearing drupe borne at the apex of a fleshy stalk known as a cashew apple.	World production in 2019 of cashew nuts with shells was around 4 million tonnes, with Côte d'Ivoire and India being the main producing countries.
Chestnut
(Castanea spp.)	[[File:Chestnut03.jpg	185px	center	alt=Chestnuts in spiny fruit]]	Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and was at one time a staple crop in some regions.	It is a true nut and grows in a spiny, cup-shaped involucre formed from the calyx.	World production in 2019 was 2.4 million tonnes, and the main producing countries were China, Turkey, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain.
Coconut
(Cocos nucifera)	[[File:Cocos nucifera (coconut) 5 (38507429165).jpg	185px	center	alt=Split coconut in husk]]	Grown throughout the tropics.	The fruit is a dry drupe, with both the coconut flesh and the coconut water developing from the endosperm, being surrounded by the fibrous husk.	Has the largest world production of any nuts, with a global figure of 62.51 million tonnes in 2019, with Indonesia, the Philippines and India being the largest producers.
Hazelnut
(Corylus avellana)	[[File:Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) - whole with kernels.jpg	185px	center	alt=Whole hazelnuts and kernels]]	Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.	The fruit is a true nut and grows in a leafy or tubular involucre formed from the calyx.	In 2019, world production of hazelnuts in shells was 1.1 million tonnes, predominantly grown in Turkey, with other notable producing countries being Italy, Azerbaijan, the United States, Chile and China.
Macadamia
(Macadamia spp.)	[[File:MacNut2.JPG	185px	center	alt=Whole macadamia nut and roasted kernel]]	Indigenous to Australia and an important food for the Aboriginal peoples before Europeans arrived.	The fruit is a hard, woody, globose follicle with a pointed apex, containing one or two seeds.	Total world production in 2018 was 200,000 tonnes, South Africa being the largest producer, followed by Australia and Kenya.
Peanut
(Arachis hypogaea)	[[File:Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) - in shell, shell cracked open, shelled, peeled.jpg	185px	center	alt=Peanuts in shell, shell cracked open, shelled, peeled]]	Originated in South America and may have been in cultivation for 10,000 years. Widely grown in the tropics.	The plant is a legume and the fruit is a papery pod containing one or more nut-like seeds.	World production in 2019 was 49 million tonnes, China is the largest producing country, followed by India, Nigeria, Sudan, and the United States.
Pecan
(Carya illinoinensis)	[[File:Carya_illinoinensis_MHNT.BOT.2011.3.85.jpg	185px	center	alt=Whole pecans and kernels]]	Native to the southern United States and northern Mexico.	The fruit is a pseudo-drupe with a green, semi-fleshy husk.	Two to three million tonnes are harvested annually; in the United States, most pecans are produced in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas.
Pine nuts
(Pinus spp.)	[[File:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg	185px	center	alt=Unshelled and shelled Korean pine nuts]]	Northern hemisphere.	Seeds extracted from woody cones.	In 2017, world production was 23,600 tons, the main producing countries being South Korea, Russia, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pistachio
(Pistacia vera)	[[File:Pistachio macro whitebackground NS.jpg	185px	center	alt=Pistacho shell with the seed visible]]	Native to Central Asia, where it is a desert tree.	The fruit is a drupe, containing a single elongated seed in a hard, cream-coloured shell, which abruptly splits open when ripe.	World production in 2019 totalled 0.9 million tonnes, the main producing countries being Iran and the United States, with lesser quantities coming from China and Turkey.
Walnut
(Juglans regia)
Black walnut
(Juglans nigra)	[[File:Walnuts - whole and open with halved kernel.jpg	185px	center	alt=Whole walnuts and kernel]]	J. regia originated in south eastern Europe, western/central Asia, and J. nigra originated in the eastern United States.	The fruit is a pseudo-drupe with a green, semi-fleshy husk.	In 2019, world production of walnuts in shells was 4.5 million tonnes, predominantly grown in China, with other notable producing countries being the United States and Iran.

Toxicity

Nuts used for food are a common source of food allergens. Reactions can range from mild symptoms to severe ones, a condition known as anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. The reaction is due to the release of histamine by the body in response to an allergen in the nuts, causing skin and other possible reactions. Many experts suggest that a person with an allergy to peanuts should avoid eating tree nuts, and vice versa.

In the European Union, foods containing nuts must be labelled. The EU regulation requires labelling of foods containing peanuts or nuts, specified as:

almonds (Amygdalus communis L.),
hazelnuts (Corylus avellana),
walnuts (Juglans regia),
cashews (Anacardium occidentale),
pecan nuts (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch),
Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa),
pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera),
macadamia or Queensland nuts (Macadamia ternifolia) and products thereof, except for nuts used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin.

Nutrition

Nuts supply nutrients for humans and wildlife. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a significant energy source. Many seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, ground to make nut butters, or pressed for oil that is used in cooking and cosmetics. Regular nut consumption of more than 5 oz per week may benefit weight control and contribute to lowering body weight in humans.

Constituents

Nuts are the source of energy and nutrients for the new plant. They contain a relatively large quantity of calories, essential unsaturated and monounsaturated fats including linoleic acid and linolenic acid, vitamins, and essential amino acids.

This table lists the percentage of various nutrients in four unroasted seeds. Units are presumably grams, and out of 100g.

Name	Protein	Total fat	Saturated fat	Polyunsaturated fat	Monounsaturated fat	Carbohydrate
Almonds	21.26	50.64	3.881	12.214	32.155	28.1
Walnuts	15.23	65.21	6.126	47.174	8.933	19.56
Peanuts	23.68	49.66	6.893	15.694	24.64	26.66
Pistachio	20.61	44.44	5.44	13.455	23.319	34.95

Research

Nuts are under preliminary research to assess whether their consumption is associated with lower risk for some diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. A 2014 review indicated that consuming one or more servings of nuts or peanut butter per day was associated with lower risk of ischemic heart disease, overall cardiovascular disease, stroke in women, and all-cause mortality. A 2022 umbrella review confirmed these findings and found a 22% reduction in all-cause mortality.

References

(6 June 2024). "Nut: Plant reproductive body". Encyclopedia Britannica.
(17 December 2008). "Tree Nuts: Composition, Phytochemicals, and Health Effects (Nutraceutical Science and Technology)". CRC.
(2006). "The encyclopedia of seeds: science, technology and uses". CABI.
(1 September 2018). "Nuts". Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
Armstrong, W.P.. (15 March 2009). "Fruits Called Nuts". Palomar College.
(2019). "Production of nuts (use pick lists for Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity)". [[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]], Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT).
Wilkinson, Jennifer. (2005). "Nut Grower's Guide: The Complete Handbook for Producers and Hobbyists". Csiro Publishing.
Motaung, Ntswaki. (30 May 2018). "More and more macadamia produced globally".
(August 2015). "Pecans". Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
(October 2018). "Pine Nuts". agmrc.org.
Harding, Mary. "Nut Allergy". Patient.
"Common Food Allergens". [[Food Allergy Research & Education]].
(25 October 2011). "REGULATION (EU) No 1169/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004".
Jaffa, Myer Edward. (1908). "Nuts and Their Uses as Food". U.S. Government Printing Office.
(2018). "Understanding Nutrition". Cengage Learning.
(1999). "Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk". Am J Clin Nutr.
(July 2014). "Nut consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
(2022). "Consumption of Nuts and Seeds and Health Outcomes Including Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, Cancer, and Mortality: an Umbrella Review". [[Advances in Nutrition]].

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