Pine nut can be basically considered as an appetite suppressant and a natural way of preventing overeating habit. Pine nuts are being consumed as part of people’s diet since ancient Greek and the Roman era. In Portugal, the larger section of the forest area is dominated by wild pine trees. The main reason is due to the favorable weather conditions that are available in that region. In the past, people use to carry a handful of nuts to consume them on long hunting trips and at the same time to maintain their energy too. Pine nuts have a nutty flavor and contain certain fatty acids that allow suppressing hunger. Pine nuts contain more protein than any other nut or seed that are available. It contains exceptionally high protein to about 31%.
Portugal is situated in the south western region of the Europe continent. It is interesting to learn that about 38% of the total land consists of forest region and 31% of the total forest is dominated by wild pine trees. Another species known as stone pines is also cultivated in Portugal. The stony pine which is also called as umbrella pines is cultivated on a large scale in Portugal. The main reason for growing stony pines in an extensive manner are because of it’s the favorable weather conditions that are provided by the Mediterranean climate of the region of Portugal. The stone pine is adaptable to high temperatures and it helps in maintaining the ecological balance of the forest area. It prevents pollution and facilitates forest conservation too. The most important product that is derived from the stone pine trees are the pine nuts which is an important ingredient towards Portuguese cuisine. The pine nut kernels are known to be environment friendly. Pine nut trees are not prone towards any form of damage caused by pests or diseases and thus have the capacity to preserve the forest environment.
Pine nuts contain lots of proteins and it can curb your hunger pangs by giving you a sense of fullness. The pine nuts have the ability to hold back hunger due to the fatty acids that is present within the pine nut. The pine nut contains pine nut oil, containing polyunsaturated fat of Pinolenic acid. This type of oil content stimulates the hunger suppressing hormones called as CCK. The peptide hormone of cholecystokinin is produced during the ingestion of food that is released into the blood stream. It is this hormone that makes a person feel that its stomach is full now. Pine nuts contain vitamins E, B3, B1 and B2. It also contains essential amino acids, beta carotene, magnesium, copper, Zinc, iron and iodine. All are essential properties for healthy living. Pine nuts also help in improving ones digestion system and improves cardiovascular health situation. Your salad can also consist of few pine nuts or you could also use pine nuts in soups in order to make it crunchy and crispy. Pine nut oil is a bit expensive but it is worth the money. It acts as a natural way of controlling appetite without any side effects.
People should be encouraged to use pine nuts in their meals. Pine nuts are good source of antioxidants and by consuming pine nuts; one can lower cholesterol effects of the body. Portugal traditional recipes are rich in pine kernels. Portuguese pine nuts mainly come from a pine tree called stone pine which is not a fast growing species. Also, its timber is not so valuable. However, Portugal’s highest income source of stone pine comes from pine nuts.
Source of this article is Portuguese wine and Best of Portugal.