8 properties and benefits of the chestnuts for our organism

One of the autumn tasty foods par excellence: but why eat chestnuts? Their benefits are innumerable, from strengthening the immune system to counteracting free radicals. Here's everything you do not know about chestnuts.

Chestnuts (Castanea sativa) are typically autumn fruits, a food rich in nutrients important for our organism since they contain vitamin C useful to strengthen the immune system and to fight the harmful action of free radicals, they help to lower bad cholesterol, thanks to fiber content, and strengthen bones. In addition, chestnuts are an excellent food that can also be consumed by those suffering from celiac disease, thanks to the absence of gluten. But let's see why they are good for health and how to use and preserve them.

Properties and benefits of chestnuts

Here are the main beneficial properties that chestnuts bring to our body. They are rich in minerals: magnesium helps strengthen muscles, sulfur is antiseptic and disinfectant, sodium is useful for digestion and magnesium helps regeneration of the nerves. Thanks to folic acid they are recommended in case of anemia, whose intake is recommended for pregnant women.

Chestnuts help the immune system: thanks to vitamin C they strengthen the immune system. They are also recommended for those who suffer from tiredness and those who need an energizing effect; thanks to the minerals, in fact, they are excellent to be consumed after an influence as a tonic or during a particularly stressful work period.

Chestnuts are healthy for the intestine: chestnuts are rich in dietary fiber, thus helping to keep the intestine regular. They are also very digestible, but only if you eat them well cooked. They also perform a probiotic activity, in fact they favor the growth of the bacterial flora in our intestine, keeping it healthy.

Chestnuts lower cholesterol: dietary fibers limit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine and helps to control bad cholesterol also thanks to monounsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid.

Chestnuts give energy and strengthen the bones: excellent food even for those who play sports because, in addition to provide energy, they promote the work of the muscles and stimulates blood circulation. Moreover, chestnuts are useful in case of asthenia also to recover from periods of convalescence after the flu, especially for the elderly and children. Inside the chestnut, there are mineral salts with innumerable benefits: potassium for example strengthens the muscles, sulfur makes the bones stronger, while the iron helps in case of deficiencies or anemia.

Chestnuts are useful for the nervous system: thanks to vitamin B and phosphorus, chestnuts contribute to the maintenance of nervous balance. Vitamin E, on the other hand, helps the well being of our nervous system, preventing degenerative diseases.

Chestnuts have antioxidant properties: thanks to vitamin C which helps to counteract free radicals and which is also useful in the formation of collagen, a fundamental protein for maintaining elastic tissues, especially in the skin.

Chestnuts are excellent during pregnancy: chestnuts contain vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, an indispensable element for pregnant women, as it helps to protect the fetus from any malformations or pathologies.

Chestnuts have an high satiating power: chestnuts contain a lot of carbohydrates, for this reason they are excellent to calm down hunger, as they immediately give a sense of satiety. Chestnut is also a fruit that contains few fats and is rich in water, and its caloric content is not so high: 200 calories per 100 gr of product, so it can be introduced into the diet, perhaps as a snack, without the fear of gaining weight.