Nut (fruit): Difference between revisions

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			PENIS
	{{otheruses\|Nut (disambiguation)}}
	] and a walnut core]]
	]s from the ]]]
	]]]
	'''Nut''' is a general term for the dry ] or ] of some ]. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be ''true nuts''. Nuts are an important source of nutrition for both humans and wildlife.

	== Botanical Definition ==
	A '''nut''' in ] is a ''simple dry ]'' with one ] (rarely two) in which the ] wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains unattached or unfused with the ovary wall. Most nuts come from ] with ''inferior'' ovaries (see ]) and all are ''indehiscent'' (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plants — families of the ] ].

	;Order Fagales
	*Family ]
	** ]—esp. ]
	** ] (''Juglans'')
	** ], ] (''Carya'')
	** ] (''Pterocarya'')
	* Family ]
	** ] (''Castanea'')
	** ] (''Fagus'')
	** ] (''Quercus'')
	** ], ] (''Lithocarpus'')
	* Family ]
	** ] (''Alnus'')
	** ] (''Betula'')
	** ], ] (''Corylus'')
	** ]

	== Culinary definition and uses ==<!-- This section is linked from ] -->
	] nuts — unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]]

	A '''nut''' in ] is a much less restrictive (but vital) category than a nut in botany, as the term is applied (or misapplied, depending upon the viewpoint) to many ]s that are not true nuts. Any large, oily ] found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as a nut. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a ], or pressed for oil that is used in ] and ]. Nuts (or seeds generally) are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as ]s and ]s store ]s and other nuts during the autumn to keep them from starving during the late autumn, all of winter, and early spring.

	Nuts, including both tree nuts and ]s, are among the most common ].<ref>{{cite web \| title = Common Food Allergens \| url = http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html \| publisher = The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network \| accessdate = 2007-06-24 }}</ref>

	Some fruits and seeds that are nuts in the culinary sense but not in the botanical sense:
	*] is the edible seed of a ] — the leathery "flesh" is removed at harvest.
	*] is the seed from a ].
	*] (used for oil) is a seed.
	*] nut is a seed.
	*] is a dry, fibrous drupe.
	*] is an inedible capsule.
	*] nut is a creamy white kernel (]).
	*]
	*]
	*] is a ] and a seed.
	*] is the seed of several species of ] (] trees).
	*] nut is the seed of a thin-shelled drupe.
	*] is a member of the ] family, in which its berrylike fruits can be eaten fresh or sundried as nuts.
	''See also:'' ]

	==Nutritional benefits==
	]
	Several ] studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from ]. Recent ]s have found that consumption of various nuts such as ]s and ]s can lower serum ] cholesterol concentrations. Although nuts contain various substances thought to possess cardioprotective effects, scientists believe that their ] profile is at least in part responsible for the ] response observed in clinical trials.

	In addition to possessing cardioprotective effects, nuts generally have a very low ] (GI).<ref name=mendosa>{{cite web\|
	\|title=Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values\|year=2002
	\|url=http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm \|accessdate=2007-11-23 \|format= \|work=
	\|author= David Mendosa}}</ref>
	Consequently, dietitians frequently recommend nuts be included in diets prescribed for patients with ] problems such as ].

	One study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who do not. However, this may be because people who eat nuts tend to eat less ]. <ref>. ''URL accessed ], ].''</ref>

	==Other uses==
	The "nut" of the ] (''Aesculus hippocastanum''), is also known as a ''']'''. Conkers are inedible, due to the presence of the toxic ] ], but are collected and used in an old children's game, also known as '']s'', in which a nut is threaded onto a strong cord and then each child attempts to break their opponent's conker by hitting it with their own. A related species, '']'', was formerly eaten by the ] of ] in times of famine. It must be leached to remove the toxic constituents before eating.

	==References==
	<references />
	Kellogg, John H. "Nuts May Save the Race." The Itinerary of Breakfast. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1920. 165–203.

	== External links ==
	{{commonscat\|Nuts}}
	{{Cookbook\|Nuts and Seeds}}
	*
	*
	* Health Benefits of Nuts
	* Nuts
	* Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk
	* Flavon's art gallery

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Revision as of 16:18, 5 March 2008

PENIS