Pili nuts: Health benefits and nutritional value

Pili nuts have high nutritional value and they have proven to have many health benefits in us. Health benefits of pili nuts include reducing constipation, acting as an antioxidant, diminishing inflammation, lowering of cholesterol levels, being healthy for people with Diabetes, aiding in weight loss, improves the health of nervous system, boosting immunity and strengthening bones.

What are Pili nuts?

Pili nuts are produced from Pili trees. The scientific name of Pili tree is Canarium ovatum. This Pili tree is a tropical tree which originally belongs to regions like Papua New Guinea, Northern Australia, and Southeast Asia.

This tree is really attractive and tall and grows to about 66 ft height. Pili tree can withstand strong winds and abnormal climatic conditions. Pili nuts are very popular amongst people of some countries like the Philippines.

The length of Pili nuts is 4 to 7 cm and their diameter is 2.3 to 3.8 cm. Pili nuts have purplish black color skin and a fleshy pulp which contains a lot of fibers. The taste of pili nuts is similar to pumpkin seeds. These nuts are used as a part of the manufacture of cakes, ice creams, chocolate and baked food items.

Pili nuts nutrition facts:

Pili nuts are rich in proteins. They contain many different types of amino acids. They are also rich in energy, vitamins, and minerals. Pili nuts are a powerhouse of various essential nutrients. Let us look at the exact nutritional profile of pili nuts.

Pili nuts nutritional value (Per 1 cup or 120 g):

Source: USDA

• Water: 3.32 g
• Energy: 863 kcal
• Total carbohydrates: 4.78 g
• Dietary fiber: 6 g

Proteins: 12.96 g

• Tryptophan: 0.227 g
• Threonine: 0.488 g
• Isoleucine: 0.580 g
• Leucine: 1.068 g
• Lysine: 0.443 g
• Methionine: 0.474 g
• Cystine: 0.227 g
• Phenylalanine: 0.596 g
• Tyrosine: 0.457 g
• Valine: 0.841 g
• Arginine: 1.819 g
• Histidine: 0.306 g
• Alanine: 0.611 g
• Aspartic acid: 1.466 g
• Glutamic acid: 2.872 g
• Glycine: 0.780 g
• Proline: 0.565 g
• Serine: 0.719 g

Fats:

• Total fats: 95.46 g
• Cholesterol: 0 g
• Total trans fatty acids: 0 g
• Total saturated fatty acids: 37.421 g
• Total monounsaturated fatty acids: 44.675 g
• Total polyunsaturated fatty acids: 9.126 g

Vitamins:

• Vitamin A (RAE): 2 µg
• Vitamin A (IU): 49 IU
• Vitamin B1 or Thiamine: 1.096 mg
• Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin: 0.112 mg
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin: 0.623 mg
• Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid: 0.575 mg
• Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine: 0.138 mg
• Vitamin B9 or folic acid (DFE): 72 µg
• Vitamin B12 or Cyanocobalamin: 0 µg
• Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid: 0.7 mg

Minerals:

• Calcium (Ca): 174 mg
• Iron (Fe): 4.24 mg
• Magnesium (Mg): 362 mg
• Phosphorus (P): 690 mg
• Potassium (K): 608 mg
• Sodium (Na): 4 mg
• Zinc (Zn): 3.56 mg
• Copper (Cu): 1.150 mg
• Manganese (Mn): 2.776 mg

Health benefits of pili nuts:

Relieves constipation:

Constipation is a very troublesome problem and it can lead to many other complications like piles or hemorrhoids and anal fissure which are really painful conditions. We need to take healthy diet full of fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts to get rid of constipation.

Pili nuts are rich in dietary fiber. About 1 cup of pili nuts contains 6 g of fiber which promotes the health of the digestive system. This fiber absorbs water from the body and makes the stool very soft and easy to pass through the gut.

Dietary fiber in pili nuts also promotes the motility of the intestines which helps in moving stools or fecal matter out of the body easily. In addition to getting relief from constipation using pili nuts, we can also protect our colon from colon cancer.

High fiber diet like pili nuts prevents accumulation of toxins, harmful bacteria in the gut that lead to various bowel disorders and also colon cancer. High fiber diet plays a protective role in colon cancer.

Strengthen bones:

We need to have strong and healthy bones to prevent the development of conditions like osteoporosis and easily fractured bones. We need an adequate dietary intake of calcium and phosphorus to make our bones strong.

Calcium and phosphorus are important constituents of our bones and teeth. More than 80 % of phosphorus in the body is present in bones and teeth. Sufficient intake of calcium and phosphorus makes our bones and teeth strong.

Pili nuts have a good amount of both these important minerals which makes our bones strong. They prevent the development of osteoporosis in old age which leads to the decrease of bone mineral density or BMD.

Osteoporosis is very common among postmenopausal women due to the reduction of estrogen in the body which in turn reduces the calcium levels in the bones. Pili nuts can be really helpful for postmenopausal women and also other people to prevent osteoporosis.

Treat anemia:

Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood is called anemia. It makes us look very pale, and we get tired very easily. We also might suffer from difficulty in breathing due to lack of hemoglobin. Severe anemia can also lead to heart failure.

Sufficient intake of iron rich foods is a prerequisite to prevent and treat iron deficiency anemia. Pili nuts are a good source of iron. They help in treating anemia by helping in the formation of hemoglobin.

Lower cholesterol levels:

High levels of harmful cholesterol in the body can lead to abnormalities of blood vessels like atherosclerosis, heart ailments like the heart attack or myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease or PAD, etc. So, we need to eat foods which lower the cholesterol in the body.

Not all the lipids or fats in foods are bad or harmful for our body. LDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol are very harmful and pili nuts have absolutely zero percent of such harmful cholesterol. In fact, pili nuts are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids or fats which help in reducing harmful cholesterol in the body.

They also contain omega 3 fatty acids which help in lowering harmful cholesterol. As pili nuts lower cholesterol levels, we can protect ourselves from heart attack ad stroke. If you are suffering high cholesterol levels, make sure you include pili nuts in your diet.

Lower high blood pressure or hypertension:

Sodium is a mineral that leads to retention of water in the body that elevates the blood pressure. Pili nuts have low levels of sodium which helps in avoiding the abrupt rise of blood pressure. Thye also contain many other essential minerals which maintain normal blood pressure.

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a vital role in the relaxation of blood vessels. Pili nuts are rich in magnesium. They relax the blood vessels and lower the high blood pressure levels. Thye helps in avoiding all the complications of hypertension like damage to kidneys, nerves, eyes, heart and brain.

Good for people with Diabetes:

Pili nuts are really healthy and good for people with Diabetes. They regulate the insulin release in the body. Insulin is released from the pancreas and it regulates the blood sugar control in the body. We need to have sufficient insulin in the blood to prevent the rise of blood sugar in the body.

Pili nuts regulate the mechanism of action of insulin and thereby controlling the blood sugar levels. The high fiber content and protein content of pili nuts are also very helpful for Diabetic people. But, make sure you eat only a small quantity of pili nuts if you are suffering from Diabetes.

Pili nuts have a lot of energy, about 863 kcal per a cup of nuts. So, consume these nuts only in small proportions if you are suffering from Diabetes.

Protect the heart:

The heart is a very important organ of our body. It can be damaged due to various reasons like high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure levels. All these factors affect the blood vessels like arteries and heart and lead to atherosclerosis, heart attack and heart failure ultimately.

Pili nuts have many beneficial compounds which lower the blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. This helps in avoiding all the risk factors that damage our heart. Also, the vitamins and minerals in these nuts make our heart healthy. The antioxidants in pili nuts also play a pivotal role in promoting the health of the heart.

Antioxidant activity:

Free radicals are harmful substances which are produced in our body due to various metabolic processes or the activities occurring in the cells. Free radicals can damage almost any organ in the body.

Free radicals can damage the skin and lead to premature aging. They can cause mutations in the genes of the cells and lead to the uncontrolled growth or division of the cells which leads to cancers. They can damage the heart.

Free radicals can impair the functioning of the brain. They can cause inflammation of various body parts like joints, muscles, etc. We need to consume a diet rich in antioxidants to combat the free radicals and lead a healthy life.

Pili nuts are rich in many vitamins like vitamin A and C which act as antioxidants. They fight the free radicals and prevent the development of various diseases of the heart, brain, skin, etc.

Rich source of proteins:

Proteins are the building blocks of the body. They are essential for the formation of each and every cell in the body. They are necessary for the formation of hormones, enzymes which maintain various bodily functions. Muscles are also made up of proteins.

We need to take an appropriate amount of protein every day to meet the demands of our body. But, being caught up in various busy activities of life we neglect to take a nutritious diet. It is very easy to carry these pili nuts wherever you go and just have a few of them when you are hungry or have low energy levels.

Pili nuts have many types of amino acids like arginine, lysine, leucine and isoleucine which are absolutely essential for having a healthy body. Pili nuts are very rich in proteins and amino acids that make us healthy.

Boost immune system:

We need to have a strong immune system to fight infections and prevent the development of various diseases. Many vitamins and minerals play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy.

Pili nuts have a rich nutritional value and they contain almost all types of vitamins and minerals. They are rich in vitamin A, many types of B-complex and vitamin C which are essential to keep the immune system strong. Vitamin C is a very important vitamin to stimulate the immune function.

Vitamin C helps in getting rid of colds and flu very easily by boosting our immune system. Pili nuts are a rich source of such an important vitamin.

Improve health of nervous system:

Our nervous system or brain is one of the most important parts of the body and we definitely need to take proper precautions to avoid getting disorders of the nervous system. We need to avoid risk factors that lead to brain diseases and also take good diet to keep the nervous system healthy.

As we already discussed, free radicals can damage any part of the body including the brain. The antioxidants in the Pili nuts fight the free radicals and prevent the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Also, Pili nuts lower the cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure which helps in preventing the development of conditions like stroke which is caused due to the diminished blood supply to the brain. The vitamins and minerals in pili nuts also promote the health of the brain and nervous system.

Benefits of Pili nuts for skin:

Pili nuts contain antioxidants that help us get rid of harmful free radicals. Free radicals damage our skin that leads to early aging or aging at an early age. The antioxidants in Pili nuts prevent premature aging.

They also reduce signs of aging like wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines. They also contain many vitamins and minerals that make skin healthy, glowing and youthful. The vitamin C content of Pili nuts is high and it helps in the formation of collagen that is an integral part of the skin.

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Family: Burseraceae
Genus: Canarium
Species: C. Ovatum